Pokemon X and Y: Dawn of a New Era
by Calem de Vaniville
Summary: Calem, Serena, and friends journey across the Kalos region as they strive to become the best Trainers. During their journey, they will make many friends - and also enemies. Calem and Serena in particular are building a relationship that can blossom into something far greater.
1. My First Pokemon

_**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Calem, Serena, Shauna, Trevor, Tierno, Team Flare, and other canon characters. They are property of Nintendo. I do, however, own quite a few characters - I created OCs to make it more interesting. I will note which characters I own._

_This story is rated K+ for violence and mild language._

_This story is based on Pokemon X and Y. I purchased a copy of Pokemon Y today and have been playing it for an hour. I'll update when I go to new places in the game - and I won't focus on any other stories for the time being. This story is a somewhat loose adaptation of the games, featuring plots, characters, etc. that are not in the games. I hope you enjoy it!_

* * *

**THE ESTATE OF NIBIRU-MUL PRESENTS**

**THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME**

**BASED ON POKEMON X AND Y**

* * *

**CHAPTER 1: MY FIRST POKEMON**

Calem had lived in Vaniville Town for ten weeks. He was feeling very much at home. He was having so much fun with Serena, Shauna, Trevor, and Tierno. But he was especially happy with Serena, who he was now best friends with. The two were getting very close, and seemed to be falling in love. Calem wanted to tell Serena that he loved her, but was kind of nervous.

Still, Calem had come out of his shell. He was no longer as shy as he once was. But he still felt very shy around certain people. Yet when Serena was at Calem's side, she made him feel less nervous. She wanted him to be brave.

Today was going to be a big day. It would change Calem's life forever. He was to go on a journey with his four friends across the Kalos region to become the best Pokemon Trainers that they could be.

One late spring morning, Calem was sleeping in his bed. He was wearing pajamas - a light blue pajama shirt and medium blue pajama pants. A doll in his likeness (which he called Cal) was laying next to him, and was dressed in similar pajamas. (Serena had made the doll for him seven weeks ago.) He knew that today something big was going to happen.

Calem's mom Cecilia came up the stairs. She was a woman with dark brown hair and blue eyes, and was dressed in a light green shirt and white pants. She quietly opened Calem's door and walked up to her sleeping son. Then Cecilia gently stroked Calem's long brown hair. After that she stuck her right hand out and held Calem's left hand.

"Honey," she said sweetly, "time to get up. Serena and Shauna have some wonderful news for you!"

Calem turned his head. Then he gently opened his blue eyes. He smiled at his mom.

"Good morning, Mom," he said. "It's a beautiful day."

"It sure is," said Cecilia.

"Did you make breakfast?" asked Calem.

"Your father did," said Cecilia. "Go change out of your pajamas and then come down."

"Can Cal come with me?" asked Calem.

"Of course," said Cecilia. "Why don't you get him dressed too?"

"Okay!" said Calem.

Cecilia left the room and got out of bed. Then he changed out of his pajamas and got dressed. He dressed Cal in a matching outfit. Afterwards, he came downstairs.

Calem went downstairs and ate a breakfast of raspberry pancakes with scrambled eggs. After he finished his breakfast, he talked to his parents. Calem's father Pierre was quite happy for his son.

"Serena says that this journey is going to be big," said Pierre. "She told you about the journey, right?"

"Yes," said Calem. "I think I'll be out for quite a bit of the day. Just don't forget to pack my clothes."

"You know," said Cecilia, "I could send you clothes over the PC so you won't have to worry about a thing."

"I know," said Calem. "The PC has a nice item storage."

"I've packed you a lunch," said Pierre. "Don't forget to take it on the way out - and to bring it back later."

Calem grabbed his lunch box.

"I won't be sleeping at home for a while," said Calem. "I'm kind of worried."

"Don't worry about it," said Cecilia. "The Pokemon Centers will provide you with some shelter. There are also various inns that will welcome Pokemon Trainers. Some people in the country are willing to take in visitors as well."

"And remember," said Pierre, "you can always call, text, or e-mail us if you miss us."

"Can I bring Cal with me?" asked Calem. "I think I'll need him when I sleep."

"Of course," said Cecilia. "I know you've taken a liking to your new doll."

Calem looked at the clock.

"I think I'll leave now," said Calem. "I don't want to keep Serena and Shauna waiting."

"Okay," said Pierre.

"I'll be back in the afternoon to get my stuff!" said Calem. "I love you both! Bye!"

"Bye, dear!" said Cecilia.

Calem went outside and saw Serena and Shauna. They were sitting under the tree.

"Hello," said Calem.

"Hello, Calem!" said Serena.

"What took you so long?" asked Shauna. "We were waiting here since eight o'clock. And now it's after ten!"

"Sorry," said Calem. "It's hard for me to get up so early. I've only been up 45 minutes."

"Not a problem," said Serena. "Let's get going to Aquacorde Town. Trevor and Tierno are waiting."

"Okay!" said Calem. "I'm right behind you."

"Sure thing," said Shauna. "Aquacorde Town is fifteen minutes away from here. It's to the north."

Calem followed Serena and Shauna to Aquacorde Town. They went to sit at the cafe. There Trevor and Tierno were waiting.

"What's up, Calem?" asked Tierno.

"Not much," said Calem. "I heard that you have a surprise for me."

"I do," said Tierno. "You'll see what it is in a few minutes."

"You'll like it," said Trevor.

"Trevs," said Shauna, "there is something Calem would like to know."

"Yes?" asked Trevor.

"About the journey," said Shauna.

"Serena told me about it," said Calem. "I was a bit unsure if it would be a reality, but yesterday Serena told me that it was real."

"It will be real," said Serena. "All five of us are going."

The five of them talked for a bit about the journey. Afterwards, it was time for Tierno to present something.

"You know about Professor Sycamore?" asked Tierno.

"Yes," said Calem. "He knows my mom. But I've met him a few times too."

"He has three Pokemon to give out," said Serena. "One for you, one for me, and one for Shauna."

Tierno took out a case. The case had three Poke Balls in it. One contained Chespin, a green chipmunk thingy. One contained Fennekin, a yellow fox. And the last one contained Froakie, a blue frog with a white collar. Calem would have to choose one.

"Trevor and I have already gotten our Pokemon," said Tierno. "Now it's your turn. Choose which starter you think you'd like best."

Calem looked at the Poke Balls. He recognized the starters, but he did not know which one to choose. Eventually, he remembered that he had really liked Froakie when he was younger, He thought that he wanted to have that one.

"Which one is Froakie?" asked Calem.

Tierno took out the Poke Ball at the right.

"This one," said Tierno. "I'll give it to you."

Tierno gave Calem the Poke Ball. Calem let out the Froakie. The Froakie looked quite happy, and saw that Calem was a sweet boy. Calem took an instant liking to the Froakie.

"He's really cute," said Calem.

"Good," said Tierno. "You may keep him."

Serena reached out and took the Poke Ball at the left.

"I'll take this one," she said.

"That Poke Ball contains Chespin," said Tierno.

"There's only one Poke Ball left," said Shauna. "I'll take it." Shauna took the last Poke Ball.

"That's Fennekin," said Tierno.

Serena and Shauna let out their Pokemon. They also took a liking to their Pokemon.

"I'm glad everyone likes their Pokemon," said Tierno.

"You can nickname your Pokemon too," said Trevor. "What do you want to call them?"

"I'll call my Froakie Naveen," said Calem, "after _The Princess and the Frog_."

"I'll name this little fella Chipper," said Serena.

"And my Fennekin shall be known as Cleopatra," said Shauna, "as long as it's a girl."

"That Fennekin is indeed female," said Trevor. "Professor Sycamore told me. The other two are male."

Calem was happy about his new Froakie. He stroked it gently.

"Thank you so much!" said Calem. "I'm overjoyed!"

"I'm pleased that you are," said Trevor. "By the way, there is something else I have for you."

Trevor reached into his bag and took out three Pokedexes. There was one for Calem, one for Serena, and one for Shauna. He handed them out to everyone. Calem was intrigued by this device. He wondered what it could be used for.

"That is a Pokedex," said Trevor. "You use it to record the Pokemon that you see and catch."

"I'll try to catch a lot of Pokemon!" said Calem.

"Me too!" said Serena.

"Me three!" said Shauna.

"Another thing," said Tierno, "there is a building around here where you can rest your Pokemon. It is marked with a Poke Ball sign. Just in case you need to rest your Pokemon..."

"Okay," said Calem. "I'm excited for this journey. But first I want to play with Naveen."

Calem went to the town square and started to play with Naveen. The two of them had quite a bit of fun together. Shauna went to play with Cleopatra, and Serena sat with Chipper. The three of them enjoyed time with their new Pokemon.

At noon, Calem decided to eat lunch. Calem took out a peanut butter sandwich with strawberry jelly, a small bottle of apple juice, and a bag of trail mix. He also had an orange, which he shared with Naveen. Naveen seemed to like the orange. Calem ate his lunch and cleaned up afterwards.

"I'm glad you like it," said Calem.

Naveen croaked in delight.

"I think I'm going to love this journey," said Calem, hugging Naveen.

This looked like the start of something new...


	2. Farewell To My Parents

_**A/N:** Calem being autistic is a reference to a previous fic of mine._

* * *

**CHAPTER 2: FAREWELL**

After everyone had had their lunch, they decided to hang out for the next few hours. Everyone bought a few supplies for their journey. They also learned the moves of their new Pokemon. Then Trevor remembered that there was something to give Calem.

"Calem," said Trevor, "this is a letter from Professor Sycamore that will enable you to go on a journey. Show it to your mom and dad. I'm sure they will approve of it."

"I will," said Calem. "I'm really excited about this journey."

"I got my letter yesterday," said Serena. "My parents approved of it already. All you need is your parents' approval."

"I better get going to my house," said Calem. "It's almost 3 PM, and I'd like to get there on time."

"Trevs and I are going to look for Pokemon," said Tierno. "We'll meet you in Santalune Forest!"

Trevor and Tierno left.

Calem put the letter in his pocket and began to make his way out of Aquacorde Town. He wanted to get to his house before it was too late. But unfortunately, he didn't make it out. He heard Shauna running right towards him.

"Hey Calem!" said Shauna. "I want to have a battle with you!"

"A battle?" asked Calem.

"You heard me," said Shauna. "A Pokemon battle!"

"I don't know about this," said Calem. "I really have to get home and give Mom and Dad the letter."

"It will be a quick battle," said Shauna. "You'll have plenty of time to see your parents afterwards."

"But I'm a bit nervous," said Calem.

"Oh, come on!" said Shauna. "Be a man and battle me!"

Calem gulped.

"Well," said Calem, "all right. I will be your opponent."

"Good," said Shauna. "Me and Cleopatra will make our battling debut with style!"

Shauna sent out her Fennekin. Calem responded by sending out his Froakie.

"Cleopatra," said Shauna, "use Tail Whip!"

Cleopatra shook her tail at the Froakie, lowering its Defense.

"Naveen," said Calem, "use Bubble!"

Naveen blew some bubbles at Cleopatra. They were super-effective on her.

"Cleopatra, use Scratch!" said Shauna.

Cleopatra scratched Naveen, damaging him slightly.

"Naveen, use Bubble!" said Calem.

Naveen attacked Cleopatra again. This was a critical hit - it left Cleopatra with only a few hit points.

"Cleopatra, use Scratch!" said Shauna.

Cleopatra scratched Naveen again.

"Naveen, use Pound!" said Calem.

Naveen pounded Cleopatra. This made Cleopatra faint. Calem and Shauna called their Pokemon back.

"Oh, crap!" said Shauna. "I wasn't done watching my cute little Fennekin yet!" She gave Calem a little prize money. "I'll beat you next time. Everyone will one day see the genius that is Shauna Lumbroso!"

Serena approached Calem and Shauna.

"It's not a big deal," said Serena. "Calem, congratulations. Shauna, you did good too."

"Thanks," said Calem.

"I'll heal your Pokemon," said Serena.

Serena healed Calem's Froakie. Then she healed Shauna's Fennekin. She explained to both of them that Pokemon battles were supposed to be fun and that they shouldn't get too worked up about them. But Shauna was feeling quite disappointed that she lost. Still, she decided to accept the loss.

"I'm going to Santalune Forest," said Shauna. "Say hi to your mom and dad for me!"

Shauna ran to the north.

"I'll come with you, Calem," said Serena.

Calem and Serena went back to Vaniville Town. Serena had to do a few things first. She had to feed her pet Rhyhorn, to tell her parents about her leaving, and to get the stuff she needed for her journey. Then she went with Calem to his house to explain the whole situation to Calem's parents. When Calem went inside, he gave his lunch box back to his parents.

"Monsieur and Madame Tremblay," said Serena, "I hope you are okay with Calem traveling on a journey. He has this letter for you."

"It's from Professor Sycamore," said Calem.

Calem handed his parents the letter. They read it.

"He has some nice handwriting," said Cecilia.

"Almost like a love letter," said Pierre. Pierre ran his hand through his long brown hair, then he looked at Calem. "But I think he realizes that your mom is already taken."

Everyone laughed.

"We will be happy to let you take this journey," said Cecilia. She looked at Calem's Poke Ball. "And you have a Pokemon!"

"I got a Froakie," said Calem.

"That's wonderful!" said Pierre. "I am kind of worried about it, though. That's why I think it's best if Serena watches over you on your journey. Remember - it is quite dangerous out there. You don't want to get lost or anything like that. We don't want you harmed."

"I think it's better if Calem stays with me," said Serena. "Calem told me a while ago that he is autistic. It would be hard for him if he was totally alone."

"But I know that I'll have Cal with me," said Calem. "You packed him with my stuff, right, Mom?"

"You have your doll with you," said Cecilia. "I put him in your bag gently. I even packed his pajamas. And you've got a change of clothes and some other supplies. And there is a Town Map just in case you get lost."

"Thank you!" said Calem.

"And by the way," said Pierre, "you will be able to stay at my parents' house in Santalune City. It's right at the edge of the forest."

"Do Grandma and Grandpa know about this?" asked Calem.

"I called them," said Pierre. "They'll be happy to give shelter to you and Serena for as long as you need. They even have a PC that you can use."

"And remember, Calem," said Cecilia, "you can always come home whenever you want."

Calem's eyes brightened up at this statement.

"So I guess this is goodbye for the time being," said Calem. "I just want to tell you this, Mom and Dad: I love you very much. I couldn't ask for better parents. You both mean so much to me, and I will keep you in my heart while I travel." Calem's eyes were getting a little teary.

"Don't cry, Calem," said Pierre. "You can still visit us."

"I'm really going to miss both of you," said Calem. He went up to his parents. They both gave him a nice, tender hug.

"I guess this is goodbye for a while," said Serena.

"It feels very painful to me," said Calem.

"Now don't you worry," said Cecilia, wiping away Calem's tears. "Your father and I are here to root for you."

"I know you are," said Calem.

"Remember that your father and I love you very much," said Cecilia.

"I know," said Calem. "I love you too!"

"We should get going," said Serena.

Calem's parents both kissed him on the cheek.

"Goodbye, dear," said Cecilia.

"Good luck on your journey!" said Pierre.

"Bye, Mom!" said Calem. "Bye, Dad! I love you both!"

Calem made one final farewell before taking his stuff and leaving the house with Serena. The two of them started to walk along the path. They walked along Route 1 and then they arrived back in Aquacorde Town. Calem wondered where Shauna, Trevor, and Tierno were.

"They are in Santalune Forest," said Serena.

"We'll meet them there," said Calem.

The two of them walked to the other side of town and crossed the stone bridge.

"I'm going to miss my parents," said Calem.

"I'm going to miss mine too," said Serena. "But cheer up." She then had an idea. "Want me to show you how to catch a Pokemon?"

"Okay!" said Calem.

Serena walked into the tall grass. Suddenly, a wild Fletchling appeared. She sent out Chipper, her Chespin.

"The first thing you need to do is lower its HP," said Serena. "Chespin, use Tackle!"

Chespin tackled the Fletchling. It damaged it quite a bit. The Fletchling used Growl, lowering Chespin's Attack.

"Now I will use a Poke Ball," said Serena.

Serena threw a Poke Ball at the Fletchling, catching it. The ball shook a few times, and then stopped. The Fletchling was caught.

"Now I have a new Fletchling," said Serena. "I'm going to call him Twitter."

Serena took the Poke Ball. Then, she reached into her bag and took out a bag of Poke Balls.

"Here's some Poke Balls for you," said Serena. "You'll want to catch a lot of Pokemon. I hope you get plenty of your own."

"I hope so too," said Calem.

"We should meet the others in Santalune Forest," said Serena.

"Sure thing!" said Calem.

Calem and Serena ran into the distance.


	3. Santalune Forest

**_A/N: _**_Siebold is one of the Elite Four members in Pokemon X and Y (the others are Malva, Wikstrom, and Drasna). He and the other three Elite Four members will each appear at least twice in the course of the story before the Pokemon League._

* * *

**CHAPTER 3: SANTALUNE FOREST**

Calem and Serena arrived in Santalune Forest. They looked around. The forest was quite extensive. Calem had been here before, and he remembered how big it was.

Then, suddenly, Shauna came out of nowhere. She had been looking for Calem and Serena. Calem was a bit startled.

"Hey, guys!" said Shauna. "I think that something exciting is going to happen if I stay with you, so I'll accompany you."

Calem was unsure what to say.

"Sure," said Serena. "You can come along."

"I'll heal your Pokemon if you need it," said Shauna.

Calem, Serena, and Shauna walked along the path. Calem decided that it would be good to try out the tall grass for himself. He went inside and looked for Pokemon. Eventually, a female Fletchling appeared.

Calem sent out Naveen.

"Naveen," said Calem, "use Bubble!"

Naveen attacked the Fletchling. Fletchling responded by using Growl.

"Use Pound!" said Calem.

Calem pounded Fletchling, but not before Fletchling used Quick Attack.

"Okay," said Calem, "now it's weak. I'll use a Poke Ball!"

In an instant, Calem threw a Poke Ball at Fletchling. Fletchling went inside the ball. The ball shook three times and then stopped. Calem had caught his first wild Pokemon. Calem was really overjoyed about this and planned to use Fletchling.

"I think I'll call you Athenais," said Calem.

"Interesting name," said Serena, who was right behind him.

"I think it's a beautiful name," said Calem.

Calem took Athenais' Poke Ball with him. Then he went to look for more Pokemon.

Suddenly, a male Pikachu appeared.

Calem ordered Naveen to use Pound against Pikachu. The hit was critical, but Pikachu did not faint. But Pikachu's Static paralyzed Naveen.

"Uh-oh," said Calem.

Calem threw a Poke Ball at Pikachu. He managed to catch it.

"Got another one!" said Calem. "I'll call you Volty."

After that, Calem caught two more Pokemon - a Scatterbug and a Pansear.

Serena, in the meantime, was fighting Pokemon Trainers, as well as catching Pokemon. She even went out of the forest to catch a male Pidgey, whom she called Marco. Shauna healed the other Pokemon.

Eventually, Calem and Shauna walked along the path. Surely enough, a boy was standing there. He was Youngster Joey (no, not that one).

When Calem walked in front of Joey, he immediately challenged him.

"Come on, Scatterbug!" he said. "Let's powder this punk!"

Calem didn't want to battle, but he knew it was rude to refuse.

Joey sent out Scatterbug. Calem sent out Athenais.

"Athenais, use Quick Attack!" said Calem.

"Scatterbug, use String Shot!" said Joey. Scatterbug shot a string of silk at Athenais.

Calem then ordered Athenais to use Quick Attack again. Scatterbug fainted. Calem called Athenais back.

Next, Joey sent out a Fletchling. Calem sent out Volty.

"Volty, use Thundershock!" said Calem.

Volty sent out a jolt of electricity. It managed to faint Fletchling.

"Come on, Scatterbug!" said Joey. "We lost this time, but we'll get the next one!" Calem got prize money.

"Good job, Calem!" said Shauna.

Calem and Shauna continued to walk along the path. They chatted as they went along. Eventually, they saw Serena.

"Hi, Serena!" said Calem. "How are you doing?"

"Good," said Serena. "I managed to catch four Pokemon!"

"I caught five myself," said Calem.

"Let's keep going," said Serena.

On the way, Shauna found a gold ring with a sapphire in the tall grass. She thought that it was beautiful.

"I like this ring," said Shauna. "I wonder if I can keep it."

"Don't keep it," said Calem. "Someone's probably looking for it."

"But it's got a sapphire in it!" said Shauna. "I love sapphires."

"That ring looks like it costs _a lot_ of money," said Serena. "I doubt your parents would be able to afford such a thing. I know I wouldn't."

"Come on," said Shauna.

"I'll tell you what," said Calem. "You can keep it for two weeks.

"But after that, we'll have to report it to the police," said Serena.

"Okay," said Shauna. "Thanks!" Shauna put the ring on.

Calem, Serena, and Shauna continued along the path. They thought that this was the right way out of the woods, but they weren't so sure about it. Then, all of a sudden, a Lass came running out of the trees. Her name was Anna, and she was looking for a battle.

"Which one of you wants to battle me?" asked Anna.

"I will!" said Serena.

"Okay!" said Anna. "My Pokemon will shock you!" She sent out Pikachu. Serena sent out Chipper.

"Chipper, use Vine Whip!" said Serena.

Chipper used a vine to whip Pikachu.

"Pikachu, use Thundershock!" said Anna. Pikachu shocked Chipper. It wasn't very effective.

"Chipper, use Vine Whip!" said Serena.

Chipper used Vine Whip again, making Pikachu faint.

"You beat me," said Anna. "But who wants to challenge my twin sister Lise?"

"Where is she?" asked Calem.

"Here I am!" said Lise, walking out of the bushes. She looked identical to Anna.

"Okay," said Calem.

Lise sent out Weedle, while Calem sent out Naveen.

"Naveen, use Bubble!" said Calem. Naveen attacked Weedle.

"Weedle," said Lise, "use Poison Sting!" Weedle attacked with a poison sting.

"Naveen, use Quick Attack!" said Calem. This was a new move Naveen had learned. Naveen attacked swiftly, making Weedle faint.

"I have another Pokemon," said Lise. "Go, Bunnelby!" Lise sent out Bunnelby, a rabbit Pokemon.

Calem ordered Naveen to use Bubble. Bunnelby could not attack - the critical hit made it faint.

"Aw, man!" said Lise. "You got us both!"

"Calem is already a good Trainer," said Shauna.

Anna and Lise acknowledged Calem's skill.

"You should test it at the Gym in Santalune City," said Anna. "The leader is a girl named Viola. She'd be pleased to be your opponent."

"I don't know if I'll get to her today," said Calem. "But I'll try my best."

"We saw two boys up ahead," said Lise. "One's fat and the other's a ginger. Are they your friends?"

"Yes, they are," said Serena. "That's Tierno and Trevor!"

"Let's go meet up with them!" said Shauna.

After the three left, Anna called out.

"There's someone else you might see on your way out!" said Anna. "Someone even cooler than Viola!" Calem and Shauna did not hear her, but Serena did. Serena would keep this in mind momentarily - there was someone else of great interest in these woods somewhere.

Calem, Serena, and Shauna walked along further. They eventually came to Trevor and Tierno, who were at the edge of the forest. Trevor was watching Tierno dance.

"The way Pokemon move - it's just incredible!" Tierno told Trevor. "I want to show off some of that spirit when I dance!"

"Tierno..." said Trevor. "You've been talking about that for the past three hours. Can we talk about something else?"

"Sorry..." said Tierno.

"We heard you talking," said Calem. "We wanted to see if you've caught a lot of Pokemon."

"We have," said Tierno.

"And Happy Feet here's been dancing with them," said Trevor.

"Cool!" said Calem. "I should try that."

"I still think you're a better dancer, Calem," Serena told Calem. "But Tierno is good too."

Calem smiled.

Next, Serena remembered what Anna and Lise had said.

"By the way," said Serena, "have you come across a cool-looking person anywhere?"

"I didn't see anyone of note," said Tierno.

"I did," said Trevor. "While Tierno was dancing all over the place, I saw a very strange-looking man. He was very tall and he had blond hair. He also wore a flamboyant white outfit with a high collar. He was actually rather handsome despite the ugly outfit. I wonder if he is one of the Gym Leaders?"

"Nah," said Tierno. "None of them fit that description."

"My guess is that he's rich," said Calem. "But what would a rich man be doing in a place where you can get dirty?"

"Why don't we try to find him?" asked Shauna.

"It's getting late, guys," said Calem. "We should just head for Santalune City."

"Yeah," said Serena. "We'll keep our fingers crossed and maybe we'll see him along the way."

The group of five left the forest. They made their way over to Route 3. The group dispersed to look for Pokemon and Trainers. When the sun was setting, the group met up again. They wondered what they would do now.

"Santalune is in the distance," said Serena. "Let's go head towards it."

"We'll need to get some shelter," said Calem. "We'll look for my grandparents' house. I know where they are."

"We'll stay at the Pokemon Center," said Shauna. "Right, Trevor and Tierno?"

"Yep," said Trevor and Tierno.

The group of five made their way to Santalune City. They took one of the minor entrances to the city since there was a crowd in the main entrance - a band from Kanto was performing in the city. Since none of them liked this band, they ignored it.

Once the five of them were inside Santalune City, they walked through the various alleys, looking for the Pokemon Center.

Then Serena saw someone. She got a glimpse of a man who looked exactly like the man who Trevor described - right down to the outfit. They could tell that he was probably rich. The man seemed to be looking for something. He was getting a little nervous about finding it.

"Where could it be?" he said. "I can't find it anywhere!"

Calem and Serena went up to him carefully.

"Excuse me, sir," said Calem, "but are you looking for something?"

The man looked at them.

"Hello there," he said. "I am looking for something. I seem to have lost my wedding ring. At noon, I noticed that it was not on my finger. It must have fallen off. I don't know where it is. I've searched all over the place. I'm worried about my wife - she gave me the ring when she proposed to me and I'm afraid that she'll be furious if I don't find it."

Calem remembered the ring that Shauna found.

"Does it have a sapphire by any chance?" asked Calem. "And is it gold?"

"That's it!" said the man. "Why?"

"We found a ring that looks like that," said Serena. "My friend Shauna has it."

"Can you bring her over here?" asked the man.

Shauna, Trevor, and Tierno ran up to the man.

"Shauna," said Calem. "We found the owner of the ring. We'd like you to give it to this nice man."

"But I wanted to keep this ring," said Shauna.

"It belongs to him," said Serena, pointing at the man. "I think you should give it up."

"I'll get you another one," said Tierno.

Shauna let out a single tear. Then she took off the ring.

"Here you go," she said. She handed the ring to the man, who put it on his finger.

"Thank you!" said the man. He looked at Shauna. "Don't be sad, child. I'm sure you'll get another ring."

"I'm glad we could help you," said Calem. "By the way, what's your name?"

"I am known to my friends as Siebold," said the man. "I am one of the Elite Four."

Calem's jaw dropped.

"Whoa!" said Calem. "I can't believe I've finally met you! I've wanted to meet you since I was ten!"

"I'm flattered," said Siebold. "You're Calem, right?" Calem nodded his head. "I've seen your mother's paintings. She is a very good artist."

"Thanks," said Calem.

The others introduced themselves to Siebold.

"We're on a journey," said Serena. "We're going all over the Kalos region."

"I'm a bit nervous," said Calem.

"There's no need to be nervous," said Siebold. "Just believe that you can do it, and if you believe in yourself, anything is possible. That's how I managed to become the Elite Four member that I am today - I put faith in Pokemon training all these years. God expects us to try our best."

"He does," said Serena.

"I've seen your paintings before," said Calem. "They're great!"

"I love them too," said Trevor.

"Me three," said Tierno.

"They're okay," said Shauna, who was still a bit upset.

"I'm more than just a painter," said Siebold. "I'm actually better-known as a chef. But I like to do anything related to art."

Siebold remembered that he had to go tell his wife that he got his wedding ring back.

"I'm very thankful that you could help me," he said. "And now I have to get back to my house."

"Will we see you again?" asked Calem.

"I'd love to see you again," said Siebold. "All five of you! And maybe one day I'll see you at the Pokemon League."

"That would be nice," said Serena.

"I have to go now," said Siebold. "Bye!"

Siebold walked away, waving to the group as he walked.

"Such a nice man," said Calem.

"Yeah," said Shauna. "I just wish I could have a ring like his."

"Don't we all?" said Serena. She looked up at the sky. "It must be so cool to be such a powerful Trainer."


	4. Macarons or Macaroons?

**CHAPTER 4: MACARONS OR MACAROONS?**

By now, it was getting very late. Tierno wanted to show Calem where the Pokemon Center was.

"It's right near the main entrance," he said.

Tierno led Calem and Serena to the Pokemon Center. Trevor and Shauna followed. The five of them entered the Pokemon Center. They looked around the building. There was a pink-haired nurse at the front counter, plus a Poke Mart at one side of the place.

"Listen up!" said Tierno. "Here is the Pokemon Center, where you can get your Pokemon healed. The lady at the counter will heal your Pokemon. Why don't you try it out?"

Calem went to heal his Pokemon. The nurse took his Pokemon and put them in the machine. The machine healed the Pokemon. She then gave the Pokemon back to Calem.

"Thanks, ma'am," said Calem.

"You're welcome," said the nurse.

Serena did the same process after Calem was done.

"You might want to buy a few supplies," said Tierno.

"Okay," said Serena.

Calem and Serena stocked up on supplies at the Poke Mart. They bought Poke Balls and Potions. Afterwards, each of them decided to use the PC. Calem and Serena deposited the Pokemon that they didn't feel like using.

"Now we're all ready for tomorrow!" said Serena.

"So," said Calem, "are you going to stay here overnight?"

"Of course!" said Tierno. "Me, Trevor, and Shauna are going to use the lodge here. They have great lodging! Are you going to stay here?"

"No," said Calem. "My paternal grandparents live nearby. They will provide shelter for me and Serena."

"Okay," said Shauna. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight!" said Calem.

"Goodnight!" said Serena.

"We'll see you tomorrow!" said Tierno.

Calem and Serena left the Pokemon Center and looked around. It was getting dark, so they thought that they should find Calem's grandparents' house right away. Otherwise, the two of them would get lost, and Calem did not want to get lost.

Calem and Serena walked down the streets of Santalune City. They passed the boutique, the book store, the sporting goods store, and various cafes. Most of them were getting ready to close, since it was late. The town was rather quiet at this hour.

"Santalune doesn't have much of a nightlife," said Calem. "If anything, I think it's for the better."

"You've performed at night," said Serena.

"My performances are family-friendly," said Calem. "After all, I am fourteen years old."

Serena was not sure of the house's location.

"Where do your grandparents live?" she asked Calem.

"They live near the corner of Meringue Street and Limoges Avenue," said Calem.

"We're on Meringue Street right now," said Serena.

"The house has pink shutters," said Calem. "You can't miss it."

Calem and Serena walked two blocks down Meringue Street, eventually coming to a house with pink shutters.

"This is it!" said Calem. "Grandma and Grandpa are inside. They like visitors, so don't be shy."

"That sounds more like something I'd tell you," said Serena, "considering you're the shy one."

Calem rang the doorbell. In about a minute, an old woman opened the door. She had white hair about as long as Calem's, except it was slightly curly. She had glasses over her pink eyes. She was wearing a red sweater and white pants. When she saw Calem, she smiled. She was his paternal grandmother, Eugenie.

"Grandma!" said Calem.

"Calem!" said Eugenie.

"We're on a journey across Kalos," said Serena. "Professor Sycamore gave us Pokemon."

"We need some shelter for the next couple of days," said Calem.

"You can stay here," said Eugenie. She turned to Serena. "But first, I would like to know your name."

"Serena Leroux," said Serena. "I'm Calem's best friend."

"Calem has told me so much about you," said Eugenie. "It's nice to meet you."

"Where's Grandpa?" asked Calem.

"He's inside watching the football playoffs," said Eugenie. (By football, she means soccer.) "The club he roots for isn't winning, though." She looked up at the sky. It's dark outside. Why don't you come inside for some macarons."

"Mmm..." said Calem, whose lips were watering.

Calem and Serena went inside the house. Eugenie closed the door behind them. She led Calem and Serena to the kitchen, where they sat down at the table. Eugenie served the two a plate of colorful macarons and two glasses of pineapple juice.

"Macarons are my favorite cookies," said Calem. "I especially like the pink ones."

"I like the green ones," said Serena.

"You better not confuse them with macaroons," said Calem. "Macaroons are another cookie altogether."

"I know the difference," said Serena. "Macarons look like little burgers, while macaroons are spiky."

"Personally, I like macarons better," said Calem. "But macaroons are good too."

The two kids ate their macarons.

"Did you eat dinner?" asked Eugenie.

"We only had a light dinner," said Serena.

"That's not good," said Eugenie. "You need to eat plenty of food for your trip. I'll give you some leftover chicken. My husband and I were going to have it, but I'll make it for you two instead - if that's okay with you."

"Sure," said Calem.

Eugenie heated up the leftover chicken for Calem and Serena.

Calem's grandfather Rodrigue came in. He was an old man with parted white hair and green eyes. He was wearing green pajamas.

"Hello there, Calem!" said Rodrigue.

"Hi, Grandpa!" said Calem.

"I heard that you were on a journey across Kalos," said Rodrigue. "How is it going?"

"Great so far," said Calem. "I've caught several Pokemon."

"That's wonderful!" said Rodrigue. He turned to Serena. "Is this girl your friend?"

"Yes," said Serena. "I'm Serena."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Serena!" said Rodrigue. He turned to his grandson. "It's nice that you made a friend in Vaniville Town. I know that you were having trouble finding friends. You felt sad about it when you were younger."

"I know," said Calem. "I'm glad to have Serena."

"We are going to stick together," said Serena.

Rodrigue turned to his wife.

"Eugenie, dear," he said, "is the chicken ready?"

"Yes," said Eugenie.

Calem and Serena ate the chicken after it was served to them. After the meal, the two of them told Rodrigue and Eugenie about their journey so far. They talked about Pokemon, and battling other Trainers, and even their encounter with Siebold when they arrived in Santalune.

Eventually, it was close to ten o'clock. It was time for Calem to go to bed.

"Calem," said Eugenie, "it's bedtime. Want to get ready for bed?"

"Sure," said Calem.

"I'll go to bed too," said Serena. "It's been a long day for both of us."

"Your mother has sent us your pajamas," said Rodrigue. "They have been washed. I left them on the bed in the guest room."

"I'm going to go change into them right now," said Calem. "Goodnight, Grandpa! Goodnight, Grandma!"

"Goodnight," said Calem's grandparents.

Calem went into the guest room and changed out of his clothes. As he stood there in his pink boxers, he took his pajamas and put them on. Then, Calem reached into his bag. He took Cal out of the bag. Calem dressed the doll in his pajamas. Calem talked to the doll.

"Hi, Cal!" said Calem. "Sorry if I couldn't talk to you earlier. I had a great first day! I caught some Pokemon, I battled a few Trainers, and I met Siebold of the Elite Four! But now it's time for me to go to sleep. Do you want to sleep with me, Cal?" Calem stroked the doll's long brown hair. "You do? Great! Let's get in bed."

Calem got under the covers and lay down. He clutched Cal in his hands.

In the meantime, Serena talked to Rodrigue and Eugenie.

"Do you have anywhere where I can sleep?" she asked them.

"You can sleep on the daybed," said Rodrigue. "We'll get it ready for you."

Rodrigue got the daybed ready. Eugenie brought down a pillow and a blanket. Serena changed into her pink pajamas.

"I'm all ready for bed," said Serena. "But first I'll go check on Calem."

"Okay," said Rodrigue. "My wife and I are going to go to bed ourselves."

Rodrigue and Eugenie went upstairs. Then, Serena went to the guest room and walked up to the bed. She saw that Calem was feeling tired.

"Did you have a good first day?" whispered Serena.

"Yes, Serena," said Calem.

"I did too," said Serena. "Now get some rest. Tomorrow is a big day."

"Goodnight, Serena," said Calem.

"Goodnight, Calem," said Serena.

Calem closed his eyes. Before she left, Serena stroked Calem's hair, as well as his doll's hair. By the time that Serena was leaving the room, she saw that Calem had drifted off into a peaceful sleep, slowly recovering the energy that he had lost.

Serena then went back to the daybed. She got under the covers and slowly fell asleep.


	5. Roller Skates

**CHAPTER 5: ROLLER SKATES**

The next day was just as sunny as the previous one. The weather was perfect for training.

Serena woke up to the sound of singing Fletchling. She got out of bed and stretched her arms. She thought that today was going to be a great day. Serena hoped that it would also be a great day for Calem, who seemed to be enjoying his journey.

"I better go wake up Calem," said Serena. "But first, I'll get ready."

Serena went to take a shower. When she was done, she changed into her usual clothes. And once she was dressed, Serena walked over to the room where Calem was sleeping. She went up to Calem and looked at him sleeping peacefull.

"There's my prince," she whispered to herself, "sleeping like the little angel that he is."

Serena patted Calem on the head. Calem's eyes opened and he saw Serena smiling at him.

"Good morning, Calem," said Serena.

"Good morning, Serena," said Calem.

"It's very nice out," said Serena."Why don't you come with me and train?"

"Sure things, Serena," said Calem.

"But first," said Serena. "we should have something to eat. And you should get ready."

"Okay," said Calem.

Calem got out of bed. He put Cal on the nightstand, and then he left the room. Serena followed Calem to the kitchen, where Rodrigue and Eugenie were sitting. They saw that there were waffles ready for them - Rodrigue had prepared some. There were also little muffins and glasses of milk.

"Are these waffles the good kind?" asked Serena.

"Of course," said Calem. "I hate the frozen kind."

Calem and Serena sat down and ate their breakfast.

"How are the waffles?" asked Rodrigue.

"Delicious!" said Calem and Serena.

"We're going to do some training today," said Serena. "We'll be back in time for dinner."

"Okay," said Eugenie. "You two have fun!"

"I hope that you catch a lot of Pokemon." said Rodrigue.

"We will, Grandpa!" said Calem.

Calem went to get ready. He took a shower and got dressed. Then he combed his hair. Afterwards, he put on his red cap - the one with sunglasses that he always wore. He went to see Serena, and saw that she was set to go. Then the two of them took their bags and said goodbye to Calem's grandparents. Then the two left the house.

While Calem and Serena walked along the streets, they talked.

"Your grandparents are very nice," said Serena.

"They sure are," said Calem. "They are my dad's parents. My mom's parents live in Cyllage City."

"Are they nice too?" asked Serena.

"Of course!" said Calem. "They're also quite friendly. And they make good food!"

"I'd like to meet them," said Serena.

"Where's Tierno, Trevor, and Shauna?" asked Calem.

"Tierno and Trevor are going to be out for a while," said Serena. "Shauna is at the boutique."

"How did you find out?" asked Calem.

"I called them when you were in the shower," said Serena.

Suddenly, a woman in roller skates zoomed past Calem and Serena. Calem fell down and landed on his butt.

"Hey, watch it!" yelled Calem.

"Let's see where she's going," said Serena.

"I don't know about it," said Calem. "She looks awfully fast."

"She has to stop sometime," said Serena.

Serena helped Calem up. Then the two of them followed the woman. She was going awfully fast, and Calem was hurrying as fast as he could. Serena was really wanting to see the woman who rode past them. Serena wanted to know who she was.

"I should have ridden my roller skates," said Serena. "I have them with me."

"I don't have roller skates," said Calem, "so I can't do that."

"She had an extra pair slung around her shoulder," said Serena. "Maybe she'll give it to you."

"No way," said Calem.

"You never know," said Serena.

Calem and Serena reached a large, colorful building. The woman on the roller skates had stopped in front of it.

"Hello," said Serena.

The woman saw them.

"What's up, young man?" said the woman. "My name is Rinka, and I'm a hip skater! I've got style!"

"I'm Calem," said Calem. ", and I've got no style. I'm lame."

Rinka looked at Calem.

"I think you might have style," she said. "Maybe you can be my opponent, and I'll see if you do."

Calem thought about it before giving an answer.

"Sure," said Calem.

"I'm not that strong," said Rinka. "I only have a Zigzagoon."

"Okay," said Calem. "I'll show you a good battle. Go, Naveen!"

Calem sent out his Froakie. Rinka sent out a Zigzagoon.

"Naveen, use Bubble!" said Calem. Naveen blew bubbles at Zigzagoon.

"Zigzagoon, use Tackle!" said Rinka. Zigzagoon tackled Naveen.

"Naveen, use Quick Attack!" said Calem. Naveen attacked quickly.

"Zigzagoon, use Sand-Attack!" said Rinka.

Zigzagoon shot some sand at Naveen, making it lower its accuracy.

"Naveen, use Bubble!" said Calem.

And with some last few bubbles, Zigzagoon fainted.

"I like your style, kid!" said Rinka.

"You really think so?" asked Calem.

"Sure," said Rinka. "In fact, I'm going to give you these roller skates that are around my shoulder. They're too big on me, so I'm looking for someone to give them to. I think your feet are just the right size to fit into these skates. They have removable wheels."

Rinka gave Calem the roller skates. They were black with blue wheels. Calem put them on - they fit perfectly. Calem started to skate around. He fell down after about a minute.

"It takes a bit of practice," said Rinka. "There's a skate park on Route 5. Maybe you can try it out."

"Sure," said Calem.

"Thanks for battling my friend," said Serena. "I'm Serena Leroux. We're on a journey."

"You are?" asked Rinka. "Good luck with your journey!"

"Thanks," said Calem. "By the way, what is this building right here?"

"This is the Santalune Gym," said Rinka. "It's one of the eight Gyms of the Kalos region. You can battle the Gym Leader and get a Badge. I don't know much about Gym Badges since I have none. You might want to ask the son of the bookstore owner."

"What bookstore?" asked Serena.

"There's a bookstore right near Route 22," said Rinka. "The youngest son of the man who owns it is kind of nerdy. He reads a lot of books on Pokemon battling. He'll offer you a guidebook for free. You won't even have to battle him."

"We should go see him right away," said Serena.

"I have to get going too," said Rinka. "See ya! Nice meeting you both!"

Rinka skated away, and Calem and Serena hurried over to the bookstore.

Calem and Serena went inside the bookstore. It was a small bookstore, but it had a lot of interesting titles and guides. Calem and Serena saw a young man looking among the books. He had longish purple hair and purple eyes. He wore an orange shirt with a green cravat around it and green pants with suspenders. On his arms were green wristbands. He was reading a book.

"Hello, there," said Calem. "I'm wondering if you have the guidebooks."

The young man turned around.

"A guidebook?" he said. He had a bit of an accent. "You've come to the right place. My name is Nabil Baroudi. My father is one of the writers for those guidebooks. When he was my age and living in his home region, he went on a journey too. Are you two novice Pokemon Trainers by any chance?"

"We are," said Calem. "I'm Calem Tremblay."

"And you are Serena," said Nabil, looking at Serena. "I know you."

"Do you have any guidebooks we can use?" asked Calem.

"I most certainly do," said Nabil. "Come with me."

Nabil led Calem and Serena to the guidebooks. He picked two copies of the most informative one and gave them to Calem and Serena.

"These books will give you plenty of advice," said Nabil. "And being a Pokemon Trainer myself, I also have some advice for you as well. First thing that you should remember is that Pokemon battling is supposed to be fun. You mustn't get carried away with it. Otherwise it will take the fun out of battling. Secondly, you should try to raise what you like. An Elite Four member from another region - her name is Karen - told me that Trainers should try to win with the Pokemon they love best."

"I agree with that," said Calem.

"What about the Gyms?" asked Serena.

"The Gym in Santalune City is run by a girl named Viola," said Nabil. "She uses the Bug type. If you manage to beat her, you'll get a Badge. You'll need eight Badges if you want to challenge the Pokemon League. Gym Leaders are generally quite tough and you might want to do some training. Route 22 is a perfect place to go. Lots of Trainers gather there."

"Sure," said Calem. "I think we'll need it."

"Thanks for the guidebooks, Nabil," said Serena.

"It will help us a lot," said Calem.

"You're welcome!" said Nabil.

Calem and Serena bade farewell to Nabil and left the bookstore with their new guidebooks.


	6. Gateway to the Pokemon League

**CHAPTER 6: GATEWAY TO THE POKEMON LEAGUE**

Later that day, Calem and Serena went to train on Route 22. They battled many Trainers and managed to beat them all. They also decided to catch some Pokemon.

After Calem and Serena had caught several Pokemon, they checked their Pokedexes.

"How many Pokemon do you have, Calem?" asked Serena.

"Six," said Calem.

"I have seven," said Serena.

"Good work, Serena," said Calem.

"You too, Calem," said Serena.

Calem and Serena went to see where Shauna was. They saw her looking at the stream that went into Santalune Forest. She was throwing rocks into the stream. She looked to be kind of bored. Calem and Serena looked at her and saw that she felt disappointed.

"What's wrong, Shauna?" asked Serena.

"The Trainers on this route," said Shauna. "Those Rising Stars are acting so cocky about everything. They think that they're such big shots and they're driving me up the wall! I hate them! I hate them so much! Help me out, guys!"

"I know how those Rising Stars are," said Serena.

"Did you lose to them?" asked Calem.

"I was winning," said Shauna, "until one of them beat me."

"I've been able to beat them," said Calem. "They are admittedly very annoying."

"Don't feel so hard about them," said Serena. "Just ignore them. Don't even bother with their crap."

"I guess you're right," said Shauna.

Shauna got up. She had a brilliant idea.

"I haven't seen you two battle," said Shauna. "Why don't you two battle each other?"

"I don't know," said Calem. "I don't want to play for keeps."

"Calem," said Serena. "You know I'd never play for keeps. I'm not that kind of girl."

"Well...okay..." said Calem.

"We'll use our starters," said Serena.

Calem sent out Naveen. Serena sent out Chipper.

"Chespin," said Serena, "use Bite!" Chipper bit Naveen, damaging it.

"Naveen," said Calem, "use Lick!" Naveen licked Chipper.

"Chipper, use Vine Whip!" said Serena. Chipper attacked Naveen with vines. It was super-effective.

"Naveen, use Lick!" said Calem. Naveen licked Chipper again.

"Chipper, use Vine Whip!" said Serena.

With one more Vine Whip, Naveen fainted. Calem called him back.

"Good job, Serena," said Calem. "I think you have what it takes to challenge the Pokemon League."

"I think I do," said Serena.

Serena was reminded of something that she had seen.

"Speaking of Pokemon League..." said Shauna, "come with me!"

Shauna grabbed Calem's wrist and started to run to the east.

"Let go of me!" said Calem. "Let go of me!"

Serena followed Shauna.

"I think you should let go," said Serena. "Where are you taking him?

Shauna ran further along the path. Eventually, she came to a reception gate. The gateway was highly decorated. Everyone stopped at the gateway and looked inside.

"What is this building?" asked Calem.

"This is the gateway to the Pokemon League," said Shauna, finally letting go of Calem. "The Pokemon League is where you can battle the Elite Four and the Champion. It's supposed to be a wondrous place. Trainers from all over Kalos flock here."

"Cool," said Calem. "This is where Siebold trains."

"Yeah, whatever..." said Shauna.

"Obviously, we can't go in just yet," said Serena. "We'll need all eight Gym Badges before we can pass through. And none of us have any."

"We better turn back," said Calem. "And the other road - the one to the east - doesn't look very safe. There might be Pokemon that are at a much higher level than the ones we have now. It would be wise of us to avoid that route for the time being."

"Calem's right," said Serena. "We have no business here. We should get out before anyone sees us."

"Let's leave," said Calem.

Calem, Serena, and Shauna left the Pokemon League reception gate and went back to Route 22. The Pokemon League was forgotten for the time being.

Later, when the three of them were on their way back to Santalune City, they saw a girl taking photos. There was a pink Vivillon located near the camera. Calem and Serena were intrigued by who this girl was. Perhaps she was the Gym Leader.

Once the girl had taken a picture, Serena walked up to her.

"Excuse me," said Serena, "but that's a nice Vivillon."

"It's quite cute," said Calem.

The girl turned around.

"Thanks," said the girl. "You two must be Trainers. I'm Viola, the Gym Leader of Santalune City."

"Pleased to meet you, Viola," said Calem. "I'm Calem, and this is Serena."

"I'm usually at the Gym," said Viola, "but today I'm out taking photos. I love photography and can't get enough of it. They say a picture is worth a thousand words." Viola scratched her chin. "That means a thousand pictures must be worth a million words!"

"I think so, Viola," said Serena.

"Do you think you'll be able to battle us?" asked Calem.

"Not today," said Viola. "Maybe tomorrow. I don't get many days off."

"Sure thing," said Serena. "Calem and I will train for two or three days, and then we'll come back to see you at your Gym."

"Perfect," said Viola.

"I wish I could take pictures like you," said Serena. "I'm not good with a camera."

"It doesn't matter," said Viola. "There's stuff I'm not good at either. I can't swim, for example."

"Neither can I," said Calem.

"It's good to know your limitations," said Viola. "My grandmother always says that you should recognize what you can't do and then look at what you _can_ do."

"Definitely," said Serena.

Shauna walked up to the group.

"Guys!" she said. "It's almost time for dinner, and the cafes are having a special!"

"We better go, Viola," said Calem. "We'll see you in a few days."

"Bye, Viola!" said Serena.

"Bye, guys!" said Viola.

Calem and Serena left Viola and met up with Shauna. Then the two went back to Santalune City.


	7. Santalune Gym: Vs Viola!

_**A/N:** I will periodically show the teams of the characters at the end of chapters._

_In this fanfic, a lot of the important characters will have extra Pokemon. The levels of many of the Gyms' Pokemon will be a bit higher than in the games._

_Sorry if the battles are a bit boring. I'm not too good at that. But I want to show the first Gym Battle for both Calem and Serena, so bear with me._

* * *

**CHAPTER 7: VS VIOLA!**

Calem and Serena decided to train for the next three days. They battled other Trainers who hung around Route 22 and defeated wild Pokemon. Through this battling, Calem and Serena raised the levels of their Pokemon. The two also stocked up on Potions for the battle.

After three days, Serena decided that it was ready for the two of them to face Viola.

During the afternoon, Serena led Calem to the Santalune Gym. This was where Viola was waiting for them. When they entered the building, he two of them saw a man standing near the entrance. They were wondering who this man was.

"Excuse me, sir?" asked Calem.

"Hello," said the man. "I am the gym guide."

"Pleased to meet you," said Serena.

"Where's Viola?"

"Viola is downstairs," said the gym guide. "You can either take the easy way down or go down using the silk rope."

"I'll take the easy way," said Calem. "I don't climb ropes."

"Aw, man," said Serena. "I'll take the rope."

"By the way," said the gym guide, "Viola is a user of Bug-type Pokemon. You should probably have some Fire-type or Flying-type Pokemon with you to counter them. Viola is tough for a novice, but she's pretty easy when compared with what's to come."

"We'll give it a try," said Calem.

"Okay," said the gym guide. "Good luck!"

Calem took the staircase down to the basement. Serena decided to climb the rope. She ended up on a giant spiderweb. She had to balance herself on the web to reach Viola. Serena tried to be careful so she wouldn't fall down.

As Serena walked along the web, little dewdrops fell from it. Serena looked ahead of her and saw Viola distracted by her camera. Serena also saw a few fake Spinarak and Ariados decorated on the walls. They looked so lifelike.

Serena made her way to the platform where Viola was standing. She saw that Calem was on the platform as well - he had already taken the staircase.

Viola greeted Calem and Serena.

"Hey there!" she said. "I see that you've kept your promise. And I can see something else in you..."

"You can?" asked Calem.

"Yes," said Viola. "I can see through the glint in your eye that you're up to a challenge. It's fantastic! Just fantastic!" She then scratched her chin. "Is this your first time challenging a Gym?" Calem nodded his head, while Serena said that she was.

"Whether it's the tears of a frustration from a loss," Viola continued, "or the blossoming of joy from a victory...they're both great subjects for my camera. They are fantastic! They are just fantastic! Now then, which one of you is going to come at me first?"

Calem was hesitant, but Serena decided to step up to the plate.

"I guess I will," said Serena.

"I'll explain the basics," said Viola. "I have three Pokemon with me, and you will have to beat all of them in order to get a Badge. Doesn't sound like a problem, does it?"

"Not at all," said Serena.

"Now then, Serena," said Viola, "I'm ready to get this thrill on!"

Now Viola and Serena were locked in a battle. Viola sent out Surskit. Serena sent out Twitter, her Fletchling.

"Let's go," said Viola. "Surskit, use Bubble!" Surskit blew bubbles at Twitter.

"Twitter, use Peck!" said Serena. Twitter pecked Surskit. It had a critical hit.

"Surskit, use Water Sport!" said Viola. Surskit shot out some water. This would weaken Fire-type moves.

"Twitter, use Peck!" said Serena. Twitter gave another peck to Surskit, making it faint. "One down, two to go!"

Serena called Twitter back and sent out Marco, her Pidgey. Viola then sent out Ledyba.

"Marco, use Gust!" said Serena. Marco blew a gust of wind by flapping its wings, damaging Ledyba.

"Ledyba, use Comet Punch!" said Viola. Ledyba punched Marco with its fists, hitting Marco five times.

"I better use a Potion," said Serena.

Serena used a Potion on Marco, restoring his health.

"Ledyba, use Supersonic!" said Viola. Ledyba shot out a ray of confusion, but it missed.

"Marco, use Gust!" said Serena. With another gust of wind, Ledyba fainted.

Viola smiled. "Now my strongest Pokemon is out!" She threw her Poke Ball. Out came Vivillon.

"Vivillon, use Harden!" said Viola. Vivillon hardened itself, making its Defense rise.

"Marco, use Gust!" said Serena. Marco blew a gust of wind at Vivillon.

"Vivillon, use Struggle Bug!" said Viola. Vivillon attacked Marco, lowering its Special Attack.

"Marco, use Gust!" said Serena. Marco attacked with another gust.

"Vivillon, use Infestation!" said Viola.

Vivillon began to rapidly attack Marco. It trapped Marco in the vortex, which would cause Marco to lose an eighth of his HP for a few turns.

"Finish it off with another Gust!" said Serena.

Marco blew one last Gust at Vivillon, making it faint. Now Serena had beaten Viola.

"You and your Pokemon have shown a whole new depth of field!" said Viola. "Fantastic! Just fantastic!"

"Great!" said Serena. "Do I get my Badge?"

"Of course!" said Viola. She handed Serena the Bug Badge. Serena put the Badge in her Trainer Card. Serena also won some prize money.

"With that Bug Badge," said Viola, "Pokemon up to Level 30 will listen to your orders in battle - even if you get them from trades!"

Calem, who had watched the battle, was clapping his hands for Serena.

"Congratulations, Serena!" said Calem. "Good job!" He turned to Viola. "I guess you should heal your Pokemon first before challenging me."

"Okay," said Viola. "I'll be right back." Viola went to heal her Pokemon upstairs. After about fifteen minutes, she came back.

Calem looked determined to beat Viola - normally he wasn't this confident.

"Now then," said Viola, "we will battle."

"Hope you can get your Badge too!" said Serena.

"I hope so," said Calem.

Viola then sent out Surskit. Calem sent out Athenais.

"Athenais, use Peck!" said Calem. Athenais pecked Surskit.

"Surskit, use Infestation!" said Surskit. Surskit attacked with Infestation, trapping Athenais in the vortex.

"Athenais, use Peck again!" said Calem. Athenais pecked Surskit again, making it faint. She was also damaged a bit by the recoil.

Calem was able to recall Athenais, and he sent out Volty. Viola sent out Ledyba.

"Volty, use Thundershock!" said Calem. Volty shot electricity at Ledyba, leaving it with only a little HP.

"Ledyba, use Tackle!" said Viola. Ledyba lunged at Volty.

Afterwards, Viola used a Potion on Ledyba.

"Volty, use Thundershock!" said Calem. Volty zapped Ledyba, making it faint.

Calem had fainted two of Viola's Pokemon. Now Vivillon would come out.

"Vivillon, use Struggle Bug!" said Viola.

"Volty, use Thundershock!" said Calem. Vivillon was damaged quite a bit.

"Vivillon, use Infestation!" said Viola. And with this attack, Volty was trapped.

"Volty, use Thundershock!" said Calem. Vivillon was zapped some more.

"Vivillon, use Harden!" said Viola.

Calem then had a smirk on his face.

"Volty, use Thundershock!" he said. Volty zapped Vivillon and made it faint. Serena clapped for Calem afterwards.

As Viola recalled Vivillon, she looked at Calem and smiled.

"You were able to beat me too!" she said. "You are both skilled Trainers!"

Viola gave Calem the Bug Badge and some prize money. Then she had another gift for both of them. It was a TM.

"This is a Technical Machine," she said as she gave each of them a TM, "or TM for short. It will teach Pokemon new moves quicker than a shutter set to 1/1000 can snap shut! They are some of the best gear around. You can use them over and over again! This one is TM83, and it contains the move Infestation. When you use it, it will trap the opponent and damage them every turn!"

"Cool!" said Serena.

"And there's one other thing I want to do before you go," said Viola. "I'll take a picture of us together with my tripod camera!"

Viola got her tripod camera ready. She then went in front of it. Calem stood to her right and Serena stood to her left. Viola told everyone to smile - which they did. Then, the camera snapped shut and captured the photograph of the three together.

"Fantastic!" said Viola. "Just fantastic! I'm going to tell this to my sister Alexa later. It's kind of late, and the Gym is closing in less than an hour, so I think you should call it a day. Tomorrow, Alexa will meet up with you. Where can I find you?"

"We're going to meet up with our friend Shauna near the Route 4 entrance," said Calem.

"Okay," said Viola. "Alexa will see you there! I'll come too."

"Goodnight, Viola!" said Calem and Serena.

"Goodnight!" said Viola.

Calem and Serena went upstairs and told the gym guide about their victory. He congratulated them. Then the two went back to Calem's grandparents house.

When Calem and Serena arrived at the house, they saw that Rodrigue and Eugenie were sitting at the kitchen table reading.

"Grandma! Grandpa!" said Calem. "We beat Viola!"

"You did?" said Eugenie. "Congratulations!"

Rodrigue and Eugenie got up and hugged Calem.

"Nice work, Calem!" said Rodrigue. "You too, Serena."

"You've accomplished so much these past few days," Eugenie told Calem. "Your grandfather and I are both proud of you."

"I know," said Calem. "And this is just the beginning."

"By the way," said Serena, "we're leaving for Lumiose City tomorrow. So this will be our last night together."

"Okay," said Rodrigue.

"We'll get you ready for it," said Eugenie.

Calem and Serena each called Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor and told them about their victory. The three agreed to meet up on Route 4 the next day. Shauna seemed especially excited, since she heard of a small Pokemon that lived among the flowers.

Afterwards, Calem and Serena called it a day and went to bed. Before Calem fell asleep, he told Cal about it.

"I managed to get my first Badge," said Calem. He showed the doll his badge. "See? Isn't it shiny?" Calem made the doll nod. "Well...I should be getting to sleep now. Goodnight." Calem got under the covers of his bed. Then he snuggled Cal and slowly fell asleep.

* * *

Viola's team: Surskit (level 12), Ledyba (level 13), Vivillon (level 15)

Calem's team: Froakie "Naveen" (level 15), Pikachu "Volty" (level 16), Fletchling "Athenais" (level 15)

Serena's team: Chespin "Chipper" (level 15), Pidgey "Marco" (level 16), Fletchling "Twitter" (level 14)


	8. The Flowers From My Dream

_**A/N: **Maia is another OC of mine - she'll appear later in the story._

* * *

**CHAPTER 8: THE FLOWERS FROM MY DREAM**

The next day came. Calem and Serena got packed for their journey. Calem dressed Cal and put him back in his bag. Once the two were ready, they decided to say goodbye to Calem's grandparents.

"We'll see you again," said Serena.

"But now we have to go," said Calem. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye," said Calem's grandparents, giving him a hug.

Calem and Serena left the house and started to make their way to the Route 4 exit. When Calem and Serena reached the entrance, they saw Shauna, as well as Viola, who was with a young woman who appeared to be older than her.

Calem and Serena went up to the group.

"What's up?" asked Shauna.

"Hi," said Calem and Serena.

"Hey there!" said Viola. "I was telling my sister about your victory!"

"To beat Viola..." said the woman, "is amazing! Allow me to introduce myself. I am Alexa. Viola, the Gym Leader of Santalune City, is my younger sister."

"Pleased to meet you," said Calem.

"I see that you are going on a great journey," said Alexa, "so I have a present for each of you." She handed Calem and Serena copies of a strange device.

"What is this?" asked Serena.

"It's an Exp. Share," said Alexa. "If it is turned on, it will give all Pokemon in your party experience points, even if they do not participate in battle. The ones who do not participate get half the experience points of the ones who do. It's a good way for leveling up."

"I think it should be useful," said Serena.

"I am a journalist in Lumiose City," said Alexa.

"Lumiose City is to the northwest of here," said Viola. "Just take Route 4."

Viola pointed to the route.

"Come over to Lumiose City if you have the time," said Alexa, "and come visit me any time if you have the next big scoop. I have to go now. It was a pleasure to meet you two."

"Bye, Alexa!" said Calem and Serena.

"Bye, Calem!" said Alexa. "Bye, Serena!"

Alexa left for Lumiose City.

"My sister sure is nice," said Viola.

"I have an older sister myself," said Calem. "Her name is Maia, and she lives in Lumiose City as well."

"I've met her once," said Serena. "She's nice."

Shauna was getting antsy.

"What about the cute Pokemon?" she asked.

"Oh," said Viola, "I almost forgot. Nabil told me about a Pokemon that lives in the flowers of Route 4. It is known as Flabebe. It is a Fairy-type Pokemon. The Fairy type is one of the most unusual types. It is one of the few types that can beat the powerful Dragon type that you might encounter later. Nabil has several Flabebe of his own."

"I've heard of Flabebe," said Calem. "My great-grandmother, Domitille Hennequin, used to have a whole ton of them while she was an actress many, many years ago. They danced with her in at least one of her movies."

Viola was shocked.

"Get out of here," she said. "You never told me that Domitille Hennequin was your great-grandmother? She was one of the region's best actresses during the Twenties!"

"Calem's grandma told us about her two days ago," said Serena. "She was Calem's grandma's mom. Calem comes from a family of entertainers."

"I knew her when I was little," said Calem. "She died when I was five. She lived to be over 100..."

"What happened to her Flabebe?" asked Shauna.

"They're still alive," said Calem. "Flabebe live a long time. My dad's much older cousin in Dendemille Town is raising them. They've probably all evolved by now, though."

"Where is Nabil?" asked Serena.

"He's in Lumiose City," said Viola, "visiting Professor Sycamore and his assistants."

After talking for a while, Shauna got bored.

"CALEM! SERENA!" snapped Shauna. "Are we going to talk or are we going to look for Flabebe?"

"We better get going," said Calem. "Bye!"

"Bye, guys!" said Viola. She went back to her Gym.

Calem, Serena, and Shauna went to Route 4. Calem and Serena couldn't believe Shauna's behavior.

"Shauna!" said Calem. "You don't have to be so rude."

"Yeah," said Serena.

"Sorry," said Shauna. "I just wanted to look through the flowers. I want to search the flowers from my dream and find a Flabebe to call my own!"

"The flowers from your dream?" asked Calem.

"I dreamed about these flowers last night," said Shauna. "They are so pretty."

"I get you," said Calem. "Just...try not to be rude next time."

"I'll try," said Shauna.

"Where are Tierno and Trevor?" asked Serena.

"They're in Lumiose City," said Shauna. "They got there this morning."

"I haven't seen them in a while," said Calem. "Are they okay?"

"They're fine," said Shauna. "Now let's find that Flabebe!"

Shauna looked ahead of her. There were plenty of flowers growing along the route. She decided to run into them and take a look at them.

"Flabebe...Flabebe..." said Shauna. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

Calem and Serena watched Shauna looking among the flowers. Then, they noticed a Rich Boy standing along the edge of the flower patch. He seemed to be al little older than Calem and Serena. He was tall, with long, well-groomed brown hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a black suit. He looked kind of friendly.

Serena decided to go up to this handsome young man.

"Hello," she said. "Are you looking for a Flabebe too?"

"Yes," said the young man. "I should introduce myself. My name is Blaise. My father is a baron."

"A baron!" said Serena. "Wow, that's cool! You'll love to be one one day!"

"Not likely," said Blaise. "I have three older brothers."

Calem went up to Blaise. He had heard the whole thing.

"I can help you look for a Flabebe," said Calem. "I hope that's okay. It might be hard because...you might get your clothes dirty."

"It doesn't matter," said Blaise. "I can always change when I get home. Besides...between you and me...I love to get dirty sometimes. I still like playing in the mud."

Calem led Blaise into the flowers. The two looked around for a Flabebe.

Eventually, Calem, Blaise, and Shauna caught sight of a whole swarm of Flabebe. They were all of various colors - red, blue, yellow, orange, and white. The Flabebe were dancing around and giggling.

"Oh my!" said Shauna. "So many Flabebe! I can't possibly catch all of them!"

"You don't have to catch all of them!" Blaise called out. "Just pick one you want!"

"Okay," said Shauna.

Shauna decided to pick a yellow Flabebe that looked particularly cute.

"Go, Cleopatra!" she said. She sent out Cleopatra.

Shauna was thinking of a move for her Fennekin to use.

"Cleopatra, use Ember!" said Shauna. Cleopatra used Ember.

The wild Flabebe used Fairy Wind. It wasn't very effective on Cleopatra.

"Cleopatra, use Scratch!" said Shauna.

Cleopatra scratched the wild Flabebe, which responded by using Tackle.

"Now I'm doing good," said Shauna. "I'll use a Poke Ball."

Shauna threw a Poke Ball at the Flabebe. It shook twice, but then the Flabebe broke free.

"Aaaugh!" said Shauna. "I'll try again!"

Shauna threw another Poke Ball at the Flabebe. She looked at it carefully. It shook three times, and Shauna thought that it was going to break out of the ball afterwards. But after the third shake, the ball snapped shut, and the Flabebe was caught.

"YES!" said Shauna. "I caught a Flabebe!"

"Good job..." said Blaise.

"Shauna is the name," said Shauna.

"...Shauna!" said Blaise. "What are you going to call it?"

"I'll name her Chrysanthe," said Shauna. "It's Greek for golden flower."

"That's a pretty name," said Calem. "I like it."

"Did you guys catch Flabebe of your own?" asked Shauna.

"I got an orange one," said Calem. "Her name is Marmalade."

"I got a white one," said Blaise. "I'm calling her Daisy. I caught a red one too."

"I wonder if Serena has one," asked Calem.

Calem looked for Serena and wondered if she had a Flabebe.

"Did you get a Flabebe?" asked Calem.

"Yes," said Serena. "A blue one. I'm calling her Thumbelina."

Calem, Serena, Shauna, and Blaise met up.

"Isn't Flabebe cute?" asked Shauna. "I think it's adorable!"

"They are adorable," said Calem. "It's so small, it fits in the palm of my hand!" Calem was holding Marmalade in his palm.

"It's a good thing that Flabebe are so common," said Serena. "That way we all got one!"

Calem, Serena, and Shauna noticed that Blaise had caught two Flabebe.

"What are you going to do with the other Flabebe?" asked Calem.

"I'm going to give it to my girlfriend," said Blaise.

"Excellent!" said Shauna. "I heard that those fashionable Ladies just adore Flabebe!"

Blaise sighed.

"She's not exactly a Lady," said Blaise. "She's not even rich - she's quite far from it. Her name's Elissa, and she's an Artist who lives in Camphrier Town."

"Sorry," said Shauna.

"I know how strange an inter-class relationship must be weird to you," said Blaise. "Some of my peers think it's ridiculous."

"Don't listen to them," said Calem. "Love is more important, and it transcends everything - even social class."

"You really think so?" asked Blaise.

"We know so," said Serena. "We'll even visit her in Camphrier Town to show you. You live there, don't you?"

"I live on an estate near it," said Blaise.

"We should visit you there," said Calem. "That is, if your parents approve of it."

"They will," said Blaise. "They're nice people. Most of the aristocrats aren't too bad. However, there is one that you should steer clear of. You must avoid Clorinda d'Hautpoul. She's a duke's widow who lives in Lumiose City. She's nothing but trouble."

"I think it will be easy to avoid her," said Calem. "I don't associate with snobs."

"Good," said Blaise.

The four of them talked for a bit, and then Blaise knew that he had to see Elissa.

"I have to deliver the red Flabebe to my girlfriend," said Blaise. "I'll see you again!"

"Goodbye!" said everyone else. Blaise waved goodbye and then ran off into the distance.

"I wish I was an aristocrat," said Shauna.

"Don't we all?" said Serena.


	9. The Road to Lumiose

_**A/N: **I had completely forgotten about Tierno and Trevor, so I'm bringing them back in the story._

* * *

**CHAPTER 9: ROAD TO LUMIOSE**

Later, Serena got a call from Tierno.

"Hello?" said Tierno. "Serena, is that you?"

"Yes!" said Serena. "Where are you?"

"I'm at the Pokemon Center in Lumiose City," said Tierno. "Trevor and I have been waiting for a while. Where are you guys?"

"Route 4," said Serena. "We will be in Lumiose as soon as possible."

"Okay," said Tierno. "Take your time."

"I'll see you when we get there," said Serena.

"Sure thing," said Tierno.

Serena and Tierno hung up. Then Serena addressed Calem and Shauna.

"We better hurry over to Lumiose City," said Serena. "We don't want to keep Tierno and Trevor waiting."

"Let's go," said Calem.

Calem, Serena, and Shauna started running along the path. They looked around and saw the gardens that flanked the path. Shauna was running a little too fast and did not even look at her surroundings. Eventually, she fell into one of the hedges.

There were two old gardeners working on them. They were pretty annoyed.

"Hey!" said the first gardener. "Watch where you're going!"

"EXCUSE ME?" asked Shauna.

"You ruined my concentration!" said the second gardener.

"Sorry," said Calem. "We should have watched where we were going."

"Too late, kids," said the first gardener. "We are going to have a Pokemon battle!"

"I did not plan for one!" said Calem.

"You should have thought of that before," said the second gardener.

Calem and Shauna got themselves ready for battle. Calem sent out Naveen and Shauna sent out Cleopatra. The gardeners sent out Roselia.

Calem noticed that Naveen would not do too good, so in the first turn he switched out and sent out Athenais. Shauna ordered Cleopatra to use Ember on Roselia. Calem then made Athenais use Peck on the other Roselia. The Roselia's attacks weren't very effective on either of them. Soon, Calem and Shauna managed to defeat the gardeners by having their Pokemon use Peck and Ember respectively.

After the battle, Calem noticed that Naveen and Athenais were glowing. Their forms started to change and they evolved into a Frogadier and a Fletchinder. Cleopatra also evolved - she became a Braixen.

"Wow!" said Calem. "Our Pokemon evolved!"

A third gardener approached the first two.

"Guys," said the third gardener, "I'm very disappointed in you both. You know you are not supposed to challenge random people to Pokemon battles while we're on the job. Our boss is going to be annoyed - she's already annoyed with both of you for other things."

"Sorry, Fabian," said the first gardener.

"It won't happen again," said the second gardener.

"That's okay," said Shauna. "We actually had fun battling."

"And our Pokemon evolved!" said Calem.

"We should get back to work," said Fabian.

The three gardeners got back to work. Then Calem and Shauna looked for Serena. They saw her with a Quilladin - she had managed to get Chipper to evolve.

"Hey guys," she said. "My Chespin evolved! Isn't that great?"

"Our starters evolved too," said Calem.

Serena looked in the distance and saw Lumiose City.

"We better get to Lumiose now," said Serena. "Sorry I got sidetracked."

"That's okay," said Calem. "We got sidetracked too."

Calem, Serena, and Shauna made their way over to Lumiose City.

When the three arrived in Lumiose City, they were amazed at how big it was. The city was so expansive - there were buildings everywhere. This looked like a very easy place to get lost. But the three knew that they should be careful and not stray too far from the path.

"Wow," said Serena, "it's huge!"

"We should stay on the outer path," said Calem. "I know this city well."

Calem, Serena, and Shauna walked on the outer path. They looked along the streets and saw lots of shops and cafes, among other things. Eventually, they reached the Pokemon Center. The three of them entered the building right away.

When the three of them went in, they got a big surprise. A married couple was standing near the entrance. The man was tall with dark blond hair and slightly heavy. The woman was of average height with short light brown hair. Their names were Louis and Grace, and they were Serena's parents.

"Mom! Dad!" said Serena. "What are you doing here?"

"We had just visited Professor Sycamore," said Grace. "We heard about your first victory, and we figured that we'd go to see the professor right away. He's an amazing person, isn't he?"

"He's going to be very helpful," said Louis. "You should go see him."

"We should," said Serena.

"I'm glad you and Calem are working hard," said Grace. "It brings me back to my days as a Rhyhorn racer. I learned to bond with my Rhyhorn in the same way that you bond with your Pokemon." Serena smiled. Then Grace turned to Calem. "I've been talking to Pierre and Cecilia every day since you left. They're happy about your journey. But they do worry about you."

"I know," said Calem. "I miss them too. But Serena promised that she would protect me."

"I'll try not to let Calem stray too far from me," said Serena.

"It is very hard being on a journey when you're got what Calem has," said Louis. "But I know it can be done. I had a friend with autism who went on a journey - and she managed to get all eight badges and was able to challenge the Pokemon League."

"Really?" asked Calem. "Who is she?"

"Her name is Aurore," said Louis, "and she's a great Trainer. She managed to become a successful Pokemon Breeder too. She lives in Shalour City."

"Looks like I've got some inspiration," said Calem.

"Did you see Tierno and Trevor?" asked Shauna.

"They're in the next room," said Grace. She looked at Serena. "Good luck on your journey, kids!"

Louis and Grace bade farewell to Calem and Serena and left the Pokemon Center. Then Calem, Serena, and Shauna went to the room where Tierno and Trevor were waiting.

"Hi, guys!" said Serena.

Tierno and Trevor looked at the three.

"What's up, guys?" asked Tierno.

"How are things going?" asked Trevor.

"Great," said Calem. "We haven't seen you in a while."

Trevor got up from his seat and walked over to Calem. He looked up at Calem, who was a whole foot taller than him.

"I can see you're really growing up to be a fine Trainer," said Trevor.

Calem giggled.

"I can't help being tall," said Calem.

"And I can't help being short," said Trevor.

The two of them laughed.

"How have you guys been doing?" asked Serena.

"Okay," said Tierno. "We got here yesterday, and we have been catching quite a few Pokemon. We want you to meet Professor Sycamore, but I think he's closing the lab soon. We'd better go tomorrow. He's going to be quite excited to see both of us."

"I guess we'll see him then," said Shauna. "We'll stay here tonight."

"Okay," said Calem.

"Then it's settled," said Trevor. "Tomorrow we'll see the professor."

The five of them spent the night at the Pokemon Center.


	10. The Professor's Lab

**CHAPTER 10: THE PROFESSOR'S LAB**

The next day, the group of five decided to go to Professor Sycamore's lab.

Trevor led the group to a large building with Poke Balls on pedestals in the front. This was the professor's lab.

"Here it is," said Trevor. "Professor Sycamore is on the third floor."

"Ooh, I can't wait!" said Serena.

When the three of them went inside, they saw two well-dressed kids - a girl with purple hair and a boy with blondish-brown hair. Calem and Serena wondered who these kids were. Maybe they worked for Professor Sycamore.

"Who are you guys?" asked Calem.

"I'm Sina," said the girl.

"And I'm Dexio," said the boy.

"Those are some very strange names," said Shauna.

Sina and Dexio said nothing.

"Anyway," said Serena, "we're pleased to meet you. We should go upstairs and see Professor Sycamore himself!"

"Okay," said Sina.

"We'll stay down here," said Dexio.

Calem, Serena, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor got into the elevator. Serena pressed the button for the third floor. The elevator closed, and then it took everyone to the third floor. Then the elevator opened up. The group of five looked out at the third floor and saw how amazing it was.

"This is where the Professor's lab is," said Tierno.

The five of them went down the hall and came to an office. They went inside and saw Professor Sycamore in all his glory. The professor went to greet the kids.

"Greetings!" he said. "Many thanks for coming all the way here from Vaniville Town!" He turned to Calem and Serena. "I'm Professor Sycamore. It's a pleasure to finally meet you!"

"Thanks," said Calem.

"We're honored," said Serena.

"How is your Pokemon journey going so far?" asked Professor Sycamore.

"Fantastic," said Calem.

"What he said," said Serena.

"Stupendous!" said Professor Sycamore. "Have you met many different Pokemon? Let me see your Pokedexes."

Professor Sycamore took a look at Calem and Serena's Pokedexes and evaluated them. He was impressed at the amount of Pokemon that they had caught.

"Looks like you're off to a good start," he said. "I was originally thinking of one child from Vaniville Town to give a Pokemon to, but now from what I've seen, I think that both of you are equally fine Trainers!" He turned to Calem. "I've seen you perform with your parents in Vaniville Town at least once. I say you're quite the performer."

Calem blushed.

"Thanks," he said.

"And Serena," said Professor Sycamore, "I remembered Grace the Rhyhorn racer and her daughter were living in Vaniville all this time, and I thought you should be the one to receive a Pokemon too. Your mother is quite an amazing Trainer, and I think you will follow in her footsteps."

"What about me?" asked Shauna.

"You seem to be doing well too," said Professor Sycamore. "Tierno and Trevor have told me that you are doing well. Work hard at it."

"I will," said Shauna. "I'll try to be the best."

"And now," said Professor Sycamore, "I think one of you should battle me. Just to show your skill. I'm pretty easy, so don't worry."

Calem, Serena, and Shauna raised their hands.

"How about Serena?" asked Professor Sycamore.

"YES!" said Serena. "Let's do this thang!"

Professor Sycamore sent out Bulbasaur, while Serena sent out Marco.

"Marco, use Gust!" said Serena. Marco blew a gust of wind at Bulbasaur.

"Bulbasaur, use Tackle!" said Professor Sycamore. Bulbasaur rammed into Marco.

"Marco, use Gust!" said Serena. With another Gust, resulting in a critical hit, Bulbasaur fainted.

Next, Professor Sycamore sent out Charmander. Since Serena didn't have any Water Pokemon to counter it, she just used Marco again.

Serena ordered Marco to use Gust. Charmander responded with Growl, which lowered Marco's attack. Marco was told to use Gust again. Charmander responded with Scratch. Then, finally, Serena told Marco to use Gust one more time and made Charmander faint.

"Good work!" said Professor Sycamore. "One more Pokemon to go!"

Serena decided to switch Marco back and send out Chipper. Professor Sycamore sent out Squirtle.

Right away, Serena told Chipper to use Vine Whip. This did a lot of damage to Squirtle - so much that Squirtle fainted before it could even attack. When Serena had won, she saw the others clapping for her. Also, she noticed that her Pidgey evolved into a Pidgeotto.

"Nice work, Serena!" said Professor Sycamore. "In fact, why don't you take another Pokemon with you?"

"Really?" asked Serena. "Awesome!"

Professor Sycamore brought over a box with three Poke Balls in it.

"You can choose between Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle," said Professor Sycamore. "Which one would you like?"

Serena thought about it for a moment, and then picked the Poke Ball on the right.

"So it's Squirtle that you've taken a fancy to," said Professor Sycamore. "Am I right?"

"Yes, sir!" said Serena.

Professor Sycamore snapped his fingers.

"Then that Squirtle is yours to keep!" said Professor Sycamore. "What do you want to call him?"

"I'll call him Lucien," said Serena.

"A fine name indeed," said Professor Sycamore.

Serena showed her Pokemon to her friends.

Professor Sycamore and the group talked about the journey for about an hour and a half.

"Before you go off on your journey," said Professor Sycamore after that, "I'll give you some advice. Be the best Trainer you can be!" He did this with a burst of energy.

"We will strive to be the best," said Serena.

"And at the same time," said Professor Sycamore, "have fun traveling with your Pokemon!"

"I'm having fun with my Pokemon already," said Calem.

"Also," said Professor Sycamore, "I want you to help me research the biggest mystery in the Kalos region: the secret and potential of Mega Evolution."

Everyone was puzzled.

"What's that?" asked Calem.

"It's a kind of evolution that occurs in battle," said Professor Sycamore. "It's kind of like a super saiyan mode-type thing. It gives them an extra boost of power, but it's only temporary. That's all that I know about Mega Evolution. I don't know anything else, so I'll need to do research. And I'll need your help."

"That sounds interesting," said Tierno.

"Very interesting," said Shauna.

"Cool!" said Trevor.

"We would love to help you research," said Serena. "We should look for clues."

"One place you might want to look is Camphrier Town," said Professor Sycamore. "It's a town located not far to the southwest. There might be some clues there."

"First I want to enjoy the greatness that is Lumiose," said Serena.

"This city looks like it has a lot to offer," said Calem.

Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor agreed.

"Now listen to this," said Professor Sycamore. "If you visit many different places to complete the Pokedex, you'll see Pokemon with many ways of living and people with many ways of thinking. First, you must accept others' ways of living and thinking, even if they conflict with your own. And accepting this will broaden your horizons."

"I like it when people have different opinions," said Serena. "It makes us all feel special!"

"Indeed," said Professor Sycamore. "I think I've talked enough, so go on your journey and have fun!"

"Bye!" said everyone.

Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor left right away. Calem and Serena waited a while.

"Serena," said Calem as they were walking out, "it can be hard for me to accept conflicting views sometimes."

"Don't you worry," said Serena. "I think it's hard for everyone. Just try to keep it in perspective - and maybe try to put yourself in another person's shoes."

"Sure thing," said Calem.


	11. The Mysterious Lysandre

**CHAPTER 11: THE MYSTERIOUS LYSANDRE **

Before everyone had gone, Professor Sycamore had given them Holo Casters - devices that could be used for communication.

Calem and Serena left the office and went back to the elevator.

"Professor Sycamore seems nice," said Calem. "And very helpful."

"In a couple of days we'll go to Camphrier Town," said Serena. "I don't see what's the rush."

"We should just enjoy Lumiose for now," said Calem.

Calem and Serena went in the elevator and made their way to the first floor. When they got to the first floor, the two of them saw something that looked very strange. A man was talking with Sina and Dexio. The man looked very odd - he had red hair in a spiky style that looked like horns and wore a black suit.

"So," said the man, "where are the two children that the professor chose?"

"They are here," said Sina.

"You'll be able to meet them soon," said Dexio.

"The children chosen by the professor..." said the man. "I wonder what potential they have."

Sina looked to her right and saw Calem and Serena.

"Here are two of them now!" said Sina. "That's Calem and Serena."

Calem and Serena went over to Sina, Dexio, and the strange man.

"Who is this?" Calem asked Dexio.

"I'm not entirely sure," said Dexio. "This man is so strange."

The strange man turned to Calem and Serena.

"Oh," said the man, "the professor gave you two Pokedexes! How wonderful! You two must be very special." Calem and Serena scratched their heads in confusion. "It doesn't matter, though. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lysandre. I've tried to learn as much about Pokemon as I can to help build a brighter future. I have learned so much from Professor Sycamore."

"I guess it's nice to meet you, Lysandre," said Serena.

"Sure..." said Calem.

He then looked at Calem and Serena's Holo Casters.

"I see your Holo Casters," said Lysandre. "Knowledge is power. Put it to good use." A proud look came upon his face. "The world must become a better place, and people and Pokemon must work together to create the world I desire." Calem and Serena looked confused about this. "Well, I'm off."

Lysandre left the lab. While he was on his way out, he talked about his desire for a beautiful world.

"I wonder what kind of world Lysandre desires," said Dexio.

"Calem...Serena..." said Sina. "In the Kalos region, there are many different Pokemon. I hope getting a Pokedex gives you a chance to learn about them."

Calem and Serena agreed to this. Then the two of them left the lab.

When Calem and Serena were outside, they met up with Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor.

"I would like to go to the department store," said Shauna. "I heard it's nice."

"I think I'd like to go get a burger from one of the stands," said Tierno.

"Sure thing," said Serena. She turned to Trevor. "What about you?"

"I'll go with Tierno," said Trevor.

Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor went off.

"What would you like to do?" asked Calem.

"I'd like to go to Cafe Soleil for lunch," said Serena. "They have more than just coffee - they have actual dishes."

Calem and Serena went to Cafe Soleil. The two of them ordered food - Calem ordered canard a l'orange, while Serena ordered ratatouille. They were presented with their dishes, as well as a breadbasket and Coca-Cola to drink.

"This is delicious!" said Calem as he ate.

"I told you Cafe Soleil was good," said Serena.

The two finished every last bit of food - though Calem had a bigger appetite, and he ate most of the bread.

After the two of them had finished, they noticed that Lysandre was nearby. He was talking to a woman clad in white. He sounded quite sinister as he talked to this woman, and Calem and Serena were kind of concerned for the woman's sake.

Calem and Serena approached Lysandre and overheard him talking.

"I just realized who that man is!" said Serena. "He's the one who created the Holo Casters."

"And that's Diantha," said Calem, looking at the woman. "One of the most famous movie stars in the Kalos region. Wow, she's even prettier in person! I never thought that I would be able to see her up close. I wonder what the two of them are doing together."

Calem and Serena were all ears for the conversation.

"Diantha," said Lysandre. "You played a young woman so wonderfully on your debut in the silver screen ten years ago. Wouldn't you rather remain young and beautiful forever so you could always play such roles?"

"What a strange question..." said Diantha. "Why would I want to play the same old roles forever? Youth may be beautiful, but it's not all there is to life. Everything changes, I want to live and change like that too. So I look forward to playing different roles as I get older."

"You were chosen to be a movie star, correct?" asked Lysandre.

"Right," said Diantha.

"Isn't it your duty to be ever beautiful?" asked Lysandre. "Everything beautiful should stay that way forever. I would make the world unchanging so that beauty is eternal. I can't stand the thought of the world becoming uglier." Lysandre turned around. "Oh, hello, Calem and Serena. This is Diantha, the great movie star. She moves multitudes with her excellent acting, which makes other people happy. Oh - if only everyone were like her. If that was the case, the world would be so much more beautiful."

"Now wait a sec, Lysandre," said Serena. "Ugliness has a right to exist too."

"No it does not, child," said Lysandre. "Don't you feel uncomfortable when you see the ugliness in the world?"

"I don't," said Serena.

"I just don't let it bother me," said Calem.

"You two are so tiresome," said Lysandre. "If you'll excuse me, I shall go..."

Lysandre exited Cafe Soleil. Then Diantha approached Calem and Serena.

"Hello, Diantha," said Serena. "I'm Serena, and this is my friend Calem."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both!" said Diantha. "You have such lovely names. And aren't you both Trainers?"

"Yes, we are," said Serena.

"Splendid!" said Diantha. "I am one myself when I'm not acting." She looked at Calem. "Why are you feeling shy?"

"Sorry," said Calem. "It's just that...I never thought I'd meet you, and I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," said Diantha.

"I do want to say something," said Calem. "You're so beautiful, and I think you are an amazing actress!"

"I'm flattered," said Diantha. "I always enjoy the support of my fans."

"I get shy a lot," said Calem. "I'm autistic, and it's hard for me to be around others sometimes."

"But that shouldn't prevent you from being happy," said Diantha. "Calem, you can overcome your weakness and be the best that you want to be. I know because everyone has something they're not good at - even me. Never let others tell you how to be. I'm giving this advice for both you and Serena."

"It's very good advice," said Serena. "Siebold told us to believe in ourselves. And I think you have good advice too."

"You've met Siebold?" asked Diantha. "He is a good friend of mine. I work with him. He's really nice, though he doesn't open himself up to just anyone. He can be pretty cold to those who are foolish. I know because he knows Lysandre. The two of them do not get along."

"Does that mean that Lysandre can't be trusted?" asked Calem.

"Personally, I wouldn't trust him," said Diantha. "I think he's up to no good. But a lot of people think he's great."

"Gee," said Calem, "I don't know who to believe - Lysandre or Diantha. They both have valid points."

"Sadly," said Diantha, "I still need to find more information about Lysandre to have a better understanding of him. And now I must be off. I'll see you two again one day!"

Diantha started to leave.

"Bye!" said Calem and Serena.

"Bye!" said Diantha, twinkling her fingers. She left the cafe.

"What a great Trainer," said Calem. "It must be amazing to be like her."

"I know," said Serena. "Want to meet up with the other guys? They're probably looking for us."

"Okay," said Calem.

The two of them left the cafe.


	12. Lumiose the Grand

_**A/N: **In a significant departure from the games, in this story Calem and Serena will be allowed to access most of Lumiose City - I edited out those annoying workers._

_There will be a number of cameos for characters from previous generations in this fic. I gave Morty one because he is my favorite Pokemon character. There probably will be one for Cynthia in a later chapter, and I might give N, Hilbert, and Hilda a cameo towards the end... _

* * *

**CHAPTER 12: LUMIOSE THE GRAND**

Since the others were quite busy, Calem and Serena decided to explore Lumiose City and see all of the wondrous things that it had to offer.

"Where do you want to go first?" asked Calem.

"Let me see," said Serena, thinking for a second. "I think I would like to visit the Lumiose Museum."

Calem and Serena decided to go to the Lumiose Museum. There they took a tour of the museum and its various paintings of all of the regions in the world. Calem liked one painting that he saw of the Bell Tower in Ecruteak City.

"This tower is amazing!" said Calem. "It's so beautiful."

"It sure is," said Serena.

"This is the tower where Ho-oh was said to have lived a long time ago," said Calem. "As for the other tower...it looks burnt."

Then, Serena saw someone coming their way. It was a man, who looked to be about twenty-four years old. He had neck-length blond hair and purple eyes. He wore a plaid purple jacket, a black shirt, beige pants, and a purple scarf. Calem and Serena guessed that he was intrigued by this tower.

"There are two towers again," said the man.

"Really?" asked Serena. "Did they..."

"Yes," said the man. "They finished the reconstruction of the Burned Tower recently. It was a controversial decision for some, but I think it was an excellent idea."

"What is your name?" asked Calem.

"My name is Morty," said the man. "I am the Gym Leader of Ecruteak City. I have extensive knowledge of the Bell Tower in that picture."

"Morty!" said Calem. "I guess I'm meeting a lot of famous people today. Earlier we met Diantha."

"Diantha?" asked Morty. "She is a dear. I know her well - I was an extra in one of her films. She's an amazing Trainer."

Serena looked at the painting.

"It's so cool to live near that tower," said Serena. "What brings you to Kalos?"

"I am here to visit Valerie," said Morty. "Valerie is the nice woman who runs the Laverre City Gym. She is also a third cousin of mine - she was born in Johto. Her mother was from Kalos, and she has lived in Kalos since she was fourteen - after her father died. She designs clothes - including the jacket I'm wearing. There's also a boutique in Lumiose where she frequents. It's called Boutique Couture."

"A boutique?" asked Serena. "Awesome!"

"It's a little pricey," said Morty, "just so you know."

Calem and Serena sighed.

"But I do have some extra vouchers," said Morty. "Here - there's one for each of you." He gave Calem and Serena vouchers. "It will give you 20% off. They're both good for the next week or so. I wanted to show it to Jasmine, but she prefers steal over splurge."

"We'll go today," said Calem.

"It's a very nice boutique," said Morty. "You'll find lots of nice items!"

Later, Calem and Serena went to the Boutique Couture, located on Vernal Avenue. They looked around and saw all sorts of nice clothes.

"This is better than the Santalune boutique," said Serena.

"That one didn't have any good clothes," said Calem. "All I got was two feather accessories."

"I got a nifty blue hat just like my red one," said Serena, "and a yellow flower accessory and a green button."

A woman approached them. She had dark skin, short red hair, and red eyes. She wore a blue tank top and skirt with blue leggings and high heels. She wore red lipstick on her lips and hoop earrings.

"Hello," said the woman. "May I help you?"

"We're looking for nice clothes," said Serena.

"You've come to the right place," said the woman. "My name is Theresa Glissant. I am one of the designers for the clothes here. I design many clothes - including those for Gym Leaders."

"I've heard of you," said Calem. "My friend Shauna idolizes you. She wants to design clothes herself - I wonder if you can give her some pointers."

"I most certainly could," said Theresa. "I love giving people advice related to fashion."

"Do you own this boutique?" asked Serena.

"No," said Theresa. "But I do a lot of business with it. I'm here because my latest clothing is here. My new line is plaid and checked. I make clothes for both men and women, so both of you can purchase my items if you'd like."

Calem and Serena looked around and saw all sorts of nice clothes. The three of them got a little carried away with purchasing. Calem bought a black fedora, a checked red T-shirt combo, a pair of checked red pants, and a pair of black loafers. Serena bought a black tie-neck blouse, a black kilt skirt, white stockings, and a pink ribbon.

The two of them showed their clothing to Theresa.

"Very impressive!" said Theresa. "You even picked out clothing from my fashion line. I'm going to be at the discotheque at Vert Plaza tomorrow night. I was invited to see the performance of Vivienne Legrand, the graceful dancer and Vivillon fanatic. Bring your friends with you."

"Definitely," said Calem.

After Calem and Serena paid for everything, they left the store with their new overpriced clothing.

"Wow!" said Calem. "We wasted money in the best way possible - on clothes."

"At least these are nice clothes," said Serena. "And they're all in our size."

"I like those plaid pants that I got," said Calem.

"There's another boutique in Cyllage that would appeal to us," said Serena. "The clothes there are much cheaper."

Calem and Serena walked around the city more. They purchased Poke Balls at the Poke Ball Boutique in Autumnal Avenue, bought ice cream in Jaune Plaza, and watched an organ grinder with his Pansage in Rouge Plaza. They ate an early dinner at Cafe Ultimo. They even made use of the Gogoat Shuffle twice, which was quite fun even though the Gogoat didn't go that fast.

Then, Calem had an idea.

"Serena," said Calem, "I'd like to take you to my older sister's place. Maia lives at an apartment near Bleu Plaza. You'll like her."

"Sure thing," said Serena.

Calem took Serena to the apartment complex he was talking about. He showed Serena to the residence of his sister.

Calem knocked on the door of his sister's apartment. Calem's older sister Maia came to the door and opened up. She was shorter than Calem, and had brown hair in pigtails and blue eyes. She wore a green shirt and white pants.

"Hi, Calem," said Maia. "Nice for you to visit me! And this must be your friend Serena."

"Hi," said Serena.

"Come on in," said Maia. "I'll give you some drinks."

Maia gave Calem and Serena some sparkling apple juice.

"I heard about your journey," said Maia. "I think it's good that you are getting out, Calem. I know with your disability it's kind of hard to get out much. But I'm glad you have Serena with you. From what you've told me, she seems like a really nice girl."

"I am very nice," said Serena. "Calem is my best friend."

"It's good that you've made some friends," said Maia. "I'm proud of you."

"I know," said Calem.

The three of them talked for an hour more. Then, Calem remembered what Theresa had told him.

"Do you want to go to the discotheque at Vert Plaza tomorrow?" Calem asked Maia. "Serena and I are going."

"I love going there!" said Maia. "Of course I will go."

Serena looked out the window and saw that the sun was going down.

"It's getting late," said Serena. "We better go back to the Pokemon Center."

"Good idea," said Maia. "Unfortunately, this apartment isn't big enough for the both of you, so it would better if you stayed there."

"We should," said Calem. "I left Cal there anyway. My doll will get worried for me."

Maia then had something to give Calem.

"I made some clothes for Cal," said Maia. "They're in this little box." She gave Calem a small box. "They should fit him perfectly."

"Thanks," said Calem. "We better go now. Shauna, Trevor, and Tierno might be looking for us."

"Bye, Maia!" said Calem and Serena.

"Bye!" said Maia.

Calem and Serena left Maia's apartment and hurried back to the Pokemon Center before the sun completely set.


	13. One Night in Lumiose

_**A/N: **Lyrics to "Lights" belong to Ellie Goulding._

* * *

**CHAPTER 13: ONE NIGHT IN LUMIOSE**

The next day, Calem and Serena told their friends about the discotheque that was in Vert Plaza.

"A discotheque?" asked Shauna. "Cool! I love dancing my pants off."

"It's supposed to be the best in town," said Trevor.

"But of course I am the best dancer," said Tierno. He showed off his moves.

"And you're all invited," said Serena. "What are you going to wear?"

"I'm going to wear my white dress shirt and black slacks," said Trevor.

"I'll wear my green dress shirt and beige slacks," said Tierno.

"And as for me," said Shauna, "I'm going to wear a flesh-colored bikini with high heels, and I'll go to the barber to get my hair cut into devil horns!"

"Gross!" said Calem. "I would never want to be seen with you in that!"

Shauna laughed.

"Just kidding," she said. "I am going to wear this nice outfit I picked up from a dress shop - a neon pink dress, red tights, and pink shoes."

"That's better," said Calem. "Serena and I picked out outfits already."

"It's going to be quite a bit of fun," said Serena. "I hope we get to meet some cool people!"

That evening, Calem and Serena got ready for the discotheque. Calem put on his checked shirt and pants combo. Serena put on her blouse and kilt skirt. Calem put on his fedora and stuck a red feather in it. Serena attached the pink ribbon to her red hat and put it on. Calem put on his loafers as well.

"We look fabulous," said Serena, looking in the mirror.

Calem and Serena left the Pokemon Center and made their way to Vert Plaza.

While the two of them were in an alley near Cafe Cyclone, Calem accidentally bumped into a strange woman. She was wearing a black hoodie and red and black pants with white diamonds. She had pink hair in weird braids hidden in her hoodie.

"You rude little brat!" said the woman as she turned around. "Don't you watch where you are going?"

"Sorry, Madame," said Calem. "I should have watched where I was going."

"You should have," said the woman. "I was carrying my Holo Caster and you almost made me drop it!"

"He said he was sorry," said Serena. "And who are you?"

"My name is Melba," said the woman. "I am a Holo Caster star. I enjoy making great videos for my own glory. I can probably do it better than either of you can. After all, I do know the creator of these things. Lysandre works on them pretty well."

"Great," said Serena. "A friend of Lysandre. Why don't you stop hanging around here?"

"Kids these days," said Melba. "So impertinent. They should know to respect adults."

Melba began to walk away.

"Ta-ta," she said.

"I hope I don't see her again," said Calem.

"Let's just go to the discotheque," said Serena. The two left for the discotheque.

Once Calem and Serena were out of her sight, Melba went into Cafe Cyclone and talked to a purple-haired woman dressed in red and black.

"Celosia," said Melba, "this job means a lot to me, but it's hard with those people on the streets."

"Malva," said Celosia. "You have earned Lysandre's respect. You will not let him down."

"And I'm trying to keep this under wraps," said Melba. "I don't want the other Elite Four members knowing that I, Malva, am a follower of Lysandre. They wouldn't take it well - especially not Siebold, who is suspecting me of shady dealings." As it turned out, Melba's real name was Malva, and she was a member of the Elite Four.

"Fear not, Malva," said Celosia. "Siebold and the other Elites shall not know of this. You're better than they are. You should stand by your views."

Meanwhile, at the discotheque, everyone was having a ball. There was lively music playing all around, and people were dancing.

Calem and Serena first met up with Maia, who was drinking some wine.

"How are you doing?" asked Calem.

"This place is great," said Maia. "The wine is pretty good."

"We're not drinkers," said Serena. "But that's okay - we can still have fun here."

"Why don't you go dance?" asked Maia. "Your friends are on the dance floor."

"Don't you want to come too?" asked Calem.

"Not now," said Maia. "Later - I promise."

Calem and Serena went to the dance floor, where they saw Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor dancing. Tierno was doing some fine dance moves - he was really breaking it down. Shauna and Trevor were cheering him on, and Calem and Serena did too when they went up to him.

"Those are some kickin' dance moves," said Serena.

"I wish I could dance like that," said Trevor. "Calem, why don't you try?"

"Okay," said Calem.

Calem did the same moves that Tierno was doing before - and did them quite well.

"I guess we have two kickin' dancers," said Serena.

"Look!" said Shauna. "Vivienne Legrand is coming on stage!"

Everyone turned to the stage. A woman with short turquoise hair wearing a Vivillon costume, made up of pink wings, antennae, a grey leotard, and black tights, walked on the stage. She stood there and then, with a snap of her fingers, seven Vivillon came flying to her. She had different patterns - represented were Meadow, Jungle, Polar, Marine, Garden, Elegant, and Sun. This was Vivienne Legrand.

"Hello, everyone!" said Vivienne, with microphone in hand. "Did you come here to party?"

The crowd said "YES!" loudly.

"Cause we are gonna party tonight!" said Vivienne. "And now, I am going to do a cover of one of my favorite pop songs. It's called 'Lights' and it's by Ellie Goulding. I hope you all like my cover. Dance to it as you will."

Everyone started dancing as Vivienne began to sing "Lights". She danced on stage and her Vivillon danced along with her.

"Wanna dance with me, Calem?" asked Serena.

"Of course!" said Calem.

As Calem and Serena danced, the power of the words filled the air.

_You show the lights that stop me turn to stone_  
_You shine it when I'm alone_  
_And so I tell myself that I'll be strong_  
_And dreaming when they're gone_

_'Cause they're calling, calling, calling me home_  
_Calling, calling, calling home_  
_You show the lights that stop me turn to stone_  
_You shine it when I'm alone_

Calem and Serena thought Vivienne's vocals were so soulful.

After Vivienne's song was done. Calem and Serena continued to dance.

"I hope we can meet Vivienne," said Serena. "I would like to battle her."

"It would be nice," said Calem.

Then Theresa approached the group.

"You say you want to meet Vivienne?" she asked them. "I can do that for you. Come to the green room with me."

"Thanks!" said Serena.

Shauna came running up to them.

"Theresa Glissant!" she said. "I'm so excited to see you! I WORSHIP YOU! I'd like to come too!"

Theresa giggled.

"Sure," she said. "You can come too..."

"Shauna," said Shauna.

"Come with me," said Theresa.

"I want to design clothes too," said Shauna. "I would like to get some pointers."

"I can give you some," said Theresa. "I'll tell you when I take Calem and Serena to see Vivienne."

Calem and Serena were led to the green room. This was where Vivienne was sitting. She had taken off her butterfly wings. She was grooming her Vivillon - she had all 18 patterns with her, and doubles of a few patterns.

"Vivienne!" said Serena.

Vivienne turned around.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Calem," said Calem. "And this is my friend Serena. We're fans. We think you did a good dance out there."

"You think so?" asked Vivienne. "Thanks! I have to train a lot to prepare it. It's not easy when you have to wear butterfly wings."

"Your singing is phenomenal!" said Serena. "Great cover work - sounds just like the real thing."

"I do a lot of singing too," said Vivienne.

"We love your Vivillon," said Calem. "They are so beautiful."

"Thanks," said Vivienne. "Vivillon is my favorite Pokemon. I've been obsessed with them ever since I was a little girl. I collect Vivillon - I have at least forty. I have every color too. They really are beautiful - my personal favorite is the Meadow pattern."

"Try not to tell that to the other Vivillon," said Calem.

"They don't mind," said Vivienne. "They all get along as if they were a family." She then thought of an idea. "Why don't we have a battle? It'll be a Double Battle - I'll use two of my Vivillon against your Pokemon. Wouldn't that be fun, dears?"

"Sure," said Serena.

Calem sent out Athenais, and Serena sent out Marco. Vivienne sent out an Icy Snow Vivillon and a Savanna Vivillon.

Calem ordered Athenais to use Ember on the Savanna Vivillon, and Serena ordered Marco to use Gust on the other Vivillon. They were both super-effective. The Icy Snow Vivillon used Draining Kiss on Athenais, which wasn't effective. The Savanna Vivillon used Psybeam on Marco, which did a good deal of damage. Calem then told Athenais to use Peck on the Savanna Vivillon. It was super-effective and a critical hit, and made the Vivillon faint. Marco then used Gust again, which did a little more damage. Icy Snow Vivillon used Supersonic on Athenais, making her confused. Serena then told Marco to use Gust on Vivillon again, and made it faint.

"Wow!" said Vivienne. "You both are formidable Trainers."

"We sure are," said Serena. "We really had fun with that Pokemon Battle. It was invigorating."

"And as a reward," said Vivienne, "I'm going to give you each a Vivillon." She held out two Poke Balls. "These two are doubles of ones I already have."

Serena picked the one in her left hand, and Calem picked the one on the right.

"That one's a High Plains Vivillon," Vivienne told Calem. "And Serena's is a Tundra Vivillon. I hope you like them."

"We do," said Calem.

"They're leveled up pretty well," said Vivienne. "They're quite good against Psychic, Dark, and Grass types. But some other types might be a problem, like Fire. One good thing that they have is that they both know Aerial Ace, a move which never misses."

"Awesome!" said Serena.

"What shall we call them?" asked Calem.

"Well," said Vivienne, "yours is a male, and Serena's is a female."

"I'll call mine Pumpkin," said Calem. "It can suit both genders."

"I think her name will be Periwinkle," said Serena.

"Nice names," said Vivienne. "I hope you come to see me for more performances in the future!"

Calem and Serena bade Vivienne farewell and went back to the main room. There they saw Shauna and Theresa.

"Calem! Serena!" said Shauna. "Theresa is amazing! She has very interesting advice about fashion."

"She does," said Calem. "She's very smart."

"And do you have fashion tips for me and Calem?" asked Serena. "We wanted to know too."

"Here's what I told Shauna," said Theresa. "The most important thing is to be yourself. Design what you think is good. It doesn't matter if other people think your outfit is ridiculous. As long as you think the outfit is good, that's what's important."

"I agree," said Calem.

"Me too," said Serena.

"You are all wonderful," said Theresa. "I wish you the best of luck in the future."

Theresa walked away and kindly waved at the group.

Fifteen minutes later, Maia approached the group.

"Vivienne is going to be back on stage momentarily," said Maia. "Care to go to the dance floor?"

"Of course!" said Serena.

Calem, Serena, Shauna, and Maia went back to the dance floor and met up with Tierno and Trevor. The group continued to dance the night away until everyone was too tired to dance.

Later, Calem, Serena, and their friends returned to the Pokemon Center. Before getting ready for bed, Calem talked to Cal.

"My friends and I had a lot of fun!" said Calem. "You should have been there - it was awesome! ...Don't worry, I'll take you to the park here one day. But for now, we should get some sleep. It's past my bedtime." Calem got ready for bed. Then he got into bed with Cal and fell asleep.


	14. A Hair-Raising Experience

**CHAPTER 14: A HAIR-RAISING EXPERIENCE**

The next day, Shauna had a surprise for everyone.

Early in the morning, while everyone was still sleeping in their beds, Shauna slipped away from the Pokemon Center and went to Route 5 to do some training. While she was there, she went into the tall grass. Surely enough, she encountered a Furfrou.

"It's a Furfrou!" said Shauna. "I better go catch her."

Shauna sent out Cleopatra. First, she ordered Cleopatra to use Flame Charge, which damaged Furfrou significantly. Then Shauna decided to use a Poke Ball on Furfrou. It broke out right away and laughed.

"Holy crap!" said Shauna.

Shauna kept trying to use Poke Balls on Furfrou. It took five Poke Balls before the stupid thing would catch itself.

"Gotcha!" said Shauna. She went to pick up the Poke Ball. "I'm going to call you Ooh La La."

When Shauna got back to the Pokemon Center, she ran up to everyone who was in bed.

"Guys! Guys!" she said. "I did it!"

"Did what?" asked Serena, looking up at Shauna.

"I caught a Furfrou!" said Shauna. "And her name is Ooh La La!"

"How do you know it's a girl?" asked Serena. "Let me take a look."

Serena got out of bed and Shauna let out Furfrou. Then Serena looked at Ooh La La - and saw that "she" was actually a "he".

"Sorry," said Serena, "but Ooh La La is a boy."

"Oh, man!" said Shauna. "Now I can't give him the hairstyle I want to!"

"You still can," said Trevor, looking up at Shauna. "The Friseur Furfrou doesn't discriminate based on gender."

"Want to go over there later?" asked Shauna.

"Sure!" said Serena.

"I'm going to the Coiffure Clips," said Trevor. "I need a haircut."

Later, Calem, Serena, and Shauna went to Friseur Furfrou. There were several Furfrou in the store, including one with the hilarious Pharaoh Trim. They were greeted by a woman with blue hair and blue eyes who was wearing a green beret, a red scarf, and a brown dress.

"Bonjour!" said the groomer. "I am GiGi, ze Furfrou groomer. How would you like me to groom ze Furfrou?"

"I would like to pick a style for my Ooh La La," said Shauna.

"Hon hon hon!" said GiGi. "Delightful name!"

Shauna let out Ooh La La and put him on the table.

"Mademoiselle," said GiGi, "which style do you desire?"

Shauna looked at the styles on the board.

"I like the La Reine Trim," said Shauna.

"Hon hon hon!" said GiGi. "Let's get started right away."

Calem and Serena looked on as GiGi cut Ooh La La's fur.

"That woman's accent is fake," Calem told Serena.

"I can tell," said Serena. "People in Kalos don't say 'hon hon hon', despite what foreigners think."

At Coiffure Clips, Trevor sat down in the chair. Tierno was watching.

"What would you like?" asked the barber.

"I don't know," said Trevor. "Haven't put much thought. I'll take anything."

"Um," said Tierno, "that's not a good idea."

"Nonsense!" said Trevor.

"Just relax," said the barber as she clipped away at Trevor's hair.

"Um," said Tierno, "I think she better stop..."

When the barber was done, Trevor looked into the mirror.

**_"AAAAAAAH!"_**

Meanwhile, GiGi had finished cutting Ooh La La's fur.

"Magnifique!" said GiGi.

"Fabulous!" said Shauna. "How do you like it, Ooh La La?"

Ooh La La was now sporting a Marie Antoinette-inspired 'do with curly ears and a poofy head. It also had a little light blue dye applied to certain parts.

GiGi bought a hand mirror to Ooh La La. Ooh La La looked very embarrassed.

"It suits him perfectly!" said Shauna.

"That will be 500 Poke Dollars," said GiGi, slipping into her real accent.

"Okay," said Shauna, who paid without noticing GiGi's accent slip.

"I knew it!" said Calem. "Her accent's a fake!"

"Her real accent sounds like she's from Orre," said Serena.

Shauna brought Ooh La La over to Calem and Serena.

"How does he look?" asked Shauna.

"Well...okay..." said Calem.

"Good," said Serena.

"We're going to take a look around town," said Shauna. "Care to come?"

"Later," said Serena. "We plan on leaving for Camphrier Town today, so make sure you get all of your stuff!"

Shauna left Friseur Furfrou with Ooh La La. Then Calem and Serena burst out laughing.

At about three o'clock, Calem, Serena, and Shauna got packing for Camphrier Town - Tierno and Trevor had left two hours earlier. Once they were all ready, the three of them set out for Camphrier Town. They made their way out of Lumiose City first.

Once the three were on Route 5, a Lucario came running up to Serena. The Lucario played with her.

"Wow," said Serena. "You're friendly!"

"I guess it likes you," said Calem.

Then, a young woman came rollerskating up to the group. She had another Lucario with her.

"Sorry about that," said the young woman. "My Lucario always does that. It might have sensed your aura - that's what Lucario do. My two Lucario battle frequently, and this one gets worked up a lot battling the other one. I can see that it is waiting for someone strong..." The first Lucario went back to Korrina.

"Who are you?" asked Shauna.

"My name is Korrina," said the young woman. "I am the Gym Leader of Shalour City. Are you collecting Badges?"

"I am," said Serena. "My friend Calem is too. By the way, I'm Serena."

"Okay, Serena," said Korrina. "We'll battle sooner or later."

"Sure," said Serena.

"I better get going," said Korrina. "I'll see you again someday. Come along, Lucario!"

Korrina skated away, and her Lucario followed her.

"Speaking of skating," said Serena, "there is a skate park nearby. Want to try it out, Calem?"

"Sure," said Calem. "I'd like to get used to my skates."

Serena took Calem to the skate park. She taught him how to skate. Calem fell down a few times, but he got the hang of it. After he was done, he decided that he'd skate with Serena. Shauna had brought her skates along, so she put them on.

Eventually, the three of them came to Tierno, who was standing there.

"Hey, Tierno!" asked Serena. "How are you doing?"

"Okay," said Tierno. "Serena, I know this sounds random, but...would you like a battle?"

"Sure," said Serena.

Tierno sent out Corphish, while Serena sent out Chipper.

The first thing Serena ordered Chipper to do was to use Vine Whip. Then Corphish used Vicegrip, which did a good amount of damage to Chipper. Then Serena ordered Chipper to use Vine Whip again. This made Corphish faint - Serena had another victory.

"I guess I'll have to catch more Pokemon," said Tierno.

"Where is Trevor?" asked Calem.

"He's behind that tree," said Tierno. "He's annoyed."

"Why?" asked Calem.

"I'll get him," said Tierno. He called out for Trevor. "TREVOR!"

Trevor came out from behind the tree. Calem, Serena, and Shauna looked at him. They noticed that his hair was quite short.

"What happened to you?" asked Shauna.

"The lady at Coiffure Clips cut my hair too short," said Trevor. "I'm kind of annoyed about it."

"I like it," said Calem. "I think it looks nice."

"I want it to grow back," said Trevor.

"There's a hair-care product available in Camphrier Town," said Calem. "It's one that encourages hair growth. Use it regularly to restore your hair."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," said Serena.

"Maybe I can battle you," said Calem.

Trevor thought about it.

"Okay," he said. "It will be one-on-one."

Trevor sent out Litleo. Calem sent out Naveen.

Calem told Naveen to use Bubble. Litleo responded by using Work Up. Calem then told Naveen to use Bubble, which made Litleo faint.

"Good work, Calem," said Trevor.

"Why don't we try to find more Pokemon?" asked Calem.

"Sure," said Trevor. "I won't worry about my hair anymore."

Calem, Serena, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor went to look for Pokemon.

While Calem was trying to catch a Doduo in the purple flowers, two girls were spying on him from behind the bushes. They were identical twins- both of them had blonde hair in ringlets and purple eyes. One girl had a blue bow and one girl had a green bow.

"He's so cute, Flora," said the girl in the green bow.

"I would love to be with him, Fauna," said Flora (the girl in the blue bow).

"Which one of us should have him?" asked Fauna (the other one).

"I don't know," said Flora.

"Maybe he'd like both of us!" said Fauna.

The two girls giggled.

Once Calem, Serena, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor had each caught enough Pokemon that they wanted, they decided to get going to Camphrier Town, which was located to the west.

"Drat!" said Fauna, looking at Calem leaving.

"Don't worry," said Flora. "We'll find him again."

"We better get home now, Flora," said Fauna. "Mother is probably looking for us. And you know how unbearable she is - after all, no one messes with the Duchess d'Hautpoul!"

Uh-oh...


	15. Flora and Fauna

**CHAPTER 15: FLORA AND FAUNA**

That evening, Calem, Serena, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor reached Camphrier Town. This was a small town with a castle overlooking it. This castle was known as Shabboneau Castle.

"This town is pretty quiet," said Trevor. "It's not like Lumiose City."

Suddenly, Calem's Holo Caster responded.

_Thank you for using the Holo Caster. Lysandre Labs developed the Holo Caster to make the lives of Pokemon Trainers richer, fuller, and more convenient. We hope you'll continue to enjoy the fine services this device provides._

"What was that for?" asked Shauna.

"I don't know," said Calem. "Let's just ignore it and go to the castle."

The group started to approach the castle. Then, a punk guy with a mostly shaved head came up to them.

"Hey you!" he said. "What are you doing?"

Calem flinched.

"What do you want?" asked Serena.

"Are you guys Trainers?" asked the punk.

"Yes," said Serena.

"I'm Cassius," said the punk. "I run the PC that Trainers across Kalos use. I heard about you from Professor Sycamore, and I was waiting for you."

"Yeah," said Tierno.

"Just letting you know," said Cassius. "I haven't got all day, so I must go back to my house. I'll be there if you need me!" Cassius walked away.

"That was completely random," said Calem.

"I know," said Serena. "People are so random. Hope there aren't any more random people."

The group entered Shabboneau Castle and walked around. The place was really empty and quiet. There was nothing but huge, empty halls.

"It's probably going to be closing soon," said Serena.

"Is this supposed to be a tourist attraction?" asked Shauna.

"Yes," said Calem. "The hundreds of castles that dot the Kalos region are mostly tourist attractions. The biggest one of all is the Parfum Palace to the north of here. That thing is supposed to be the size of a city - you could get lost inside of its endless corridors."

The group of five walked around the castle for about an hour, but they didn't find anything of note in this empty place.

"This stinks," said Trevor.

"There's nothing here," said Tierno. "We better get going."

"Yeah," said Shauna. "Let's get out of here."

Shauna then looked around.

"Wait," she said. "Where's Calem and Serena? They're not here!"

"They must have wandered off," said Tierno. "They'll probably meet up with us later."

Calem and Serena had left through one of the secret entrances and gone to explore the gardens to the east. The gardens had led to the woods, and a path would take them back to Camphrier Town.

"Where are we?" asked Calem.

"We're on the alternate path," said Serena. "Don't worry - we'll find our way back. I'll tell you what - we'll stay at the Hotel Camphrier for the next couple of days."

"Sure," said Calem.

"It seems weird that after ten days, we've seen a lot," said Serena.

"I know," said Calem.

Then, suddenly, one of the bushes was shaking. Calem got a little scared.

"Something's in that bush!" he said. "It could be a Houndour!"

"It's probably just an Audino," said Serena.

"I'm not checking without you," said Calem.

"We'll look together," said Serena. "Okay?"

"Okay," said Calem.

Calem and Serena went to check on the rustling bush. The two reached their hands out.

Suddenly, two teenage girls jumped out of the bush. It was Flora and Fauna - the same girls that had been spying on Calem earlier. The girls were wearing frilly pink dresses. Calem flinched when he saw them. There was something really scary about these girls.

"Who are you?" asked Calem.

"I'm Flora Aglaia Calliope d'Hautpoul," said Flora.

"And I'm Fauna Thalia Antigone d'Hautpoul," said Fauna.

"Hey," said Calem.

"We're twins," said Flora.

"Identical, in case you couldn't tell," said Fauna.

"I could tell," said Serena.

"What are your names?" asked Fauna.

"I'm Serena Leroux," said Serena.

"I'm Calem Tremblay," said Calem.

"Calem!" said Flora. "That's a cute name. There's a really cute actor in the Kalos region with that name."

"But this one's cuter," said Fauna. "Isn't he, Flora?"

Flora and Fauna giggled.

"These girls are weird," Calem said to Serena. "They're like the creepy twins from _The Shining_, only scarier."

"Creepy, eh?" said Flora. "Our eyes can stare right into your soul!"

"Oh, brother," said Serena.

"What are you doing here?" asked Calem.

"We're on a journey," said Fauna.

"We're with our Floette," said Flora.

Flora and Fauna sent out their Floette. Flora's was white and Fauna's was red.

"This is Snow White," said Flora.

"And this is Rose Red," said Fauna.

"Dance for them, my pretties!" said Flora and Fauna.

Snow White and Rose Red started to do a little fairy dance.

"Amazing!" said Calem.

"Why are you on a journey?" asked Serena.

"We're running away from our mother," said Fauna. "Our mother is Clorinda d'Hautpoul. She's an evil aristocrat and she wants us to conform to a stupid high society life. And we don't want that!"

"We are young," said Flora, "and we want to set the world on fire!"

"And burn brighter," said Fauna, "than the sun!"

Calem and Serena laughed.

"Your mother is Clorinda?" asked Calem. "That can't be good."

"It's crap," said Flora, "and especially for our stepsister Manon. She can't bear to live with our evil mother, so she moved out."

"So she's a wicked stepmother too?" asked Calem. "I should have known!"

"We left this afternoon," said Fauna. "While Mother left to attend a banquet, I took my Rose Red with me and ran."

"And I followed her with my Snow White," said Flora.

"You know," said Calem, "your mother is probably wondering where you are."

Snow White and Rose Red fluttered around their owners. They were quite scared at the thought of Clorinda finding them.

"Oh no!" said Flora. "She can't be looking for us!"

"Please, cutie," Fauna told Calem while shaking him, "protect us from that horrible old shrew!"

"Do we have to?" asked Calem.

"Okay," said Serena. "We'll let you stay with us at the Hotel Camphrier?"

"But we're NOT sharing hotel rooms!" said Calem.

"Deal," said Flora.

"We'll come with you," said Fauna.

Calem, Serena, Flora, Fauna, Snow White, and Rose Red made their way back to Camphrier Town. There they encountered Tierno, Trevor, and Shauna.

"Hey," said Tierno. "Who are these girls?"

"This is Flora and Fauna," said Calem.

"We love Calem," said Flora.

"He's our boyfriend!" said Fauna.

"Wait a minute," said Calem. "I'm not into either of them, and if I was, I couldn't possibly be boyfriend to both of them."

"They're just annoying," said Trevor. "Don't worry, Calem."

"They seem like nice girls," said Shauna.

"We're going to stay at the hotel," said Flora.

"We get our own room," said Fauna, "and we can get room service!"

"Yeah...sure..." said Serena.

"I like your Floette," said Shauna.

"My little Snow White is adorable!" said Flora.

"And so is my precious Rose Red!" said Fauna.

Snow White and Rose Red fluttered around Shauna. Then the twins sent the Floette back to their Poke Balls.

"Where'd you get those names from?" asked Shauna.

"They're from a fairy tale," said Fauna.

"One about two sisters who marry two princes," said Flora. "But we girls already have a prince, and his name is Calem!"

Flora and Fauna did an annoying girl giggle. Calem was quite embarrassed.

"I think we should get to the hotel..." said Serena.

"Okay," said Flora.

Calem, Serena, Flora, and Fauna went to the hotel. First, Calem and Serena unpacked in their room as Flora and Fauna looked on. They saw Calem take Cal out of his bag.

"A dolly!" said Flora. "We love dollies!"

"What's his name?" asked Fauna.

"His name is Cal," said Calem, "and he's my friend."

"Aw, isn't that kawaii?" asked Fauna.

"This doll is très cutée," said Flora.

"Shouldn't you be getting to your room?" asked Calem.

"Oh!" said Flora. "We must. Bye now!"

Flora and Fauna went to their hotel room.

By now, the sun had set. Calem and Serena talked in their room.

"I do not like this," said Serena. "Flora and Fauna are going to be in big trouble when Clorinda finds them. She is said to be pretty scary."

"That's not even the worst of it," said Calem. "Those girls are madly in love with me! Didn't you see how they said I was their boyfriend?"

"I know," said Serena. "They have some issues to work out."

"You think?" asked Calem.

"We should just try be nice to them," said Serena.

Calem got into his bed and held Cal in his left hand.

"I guess we shouldn't be too worried," said Serena. "We'll all feel better in the morning."

"I guess so," said Calem.


	16. The Crone

**CHAPTER 16: THE CRONE**

The next day, Calem and Serena woke up to yet another bright, sunny day. Calem and Serena got dressed - Calem even put a green feather accessory in his cap and Serena wore her flower accessory on hers.

Around noon, Calem and Serena went out of the hotel. Flora and Fauna followed them.

"We think it's so pretty out," said Flora.

"All of the flowers are in bloom," said Fauna.

"Summer's coming up in a week," said Serena. "There will be a lot of nice flowers then."

"Yes," said Calem. "Lots of pretty flowers. Cal loves them."

Serena wondered if Flora and Fauna would like to battle her and Calem.

"Would you girls like a Double Battle?" asked Serena.

"Yeah!" said Flora and Fauna.

"I want to be Calem's partner!" said Flora.

"I want to be his partner," said Fauna.

"He's mine!" said Flora.

"No, he's mine!" said Fauna.

"Mine!" said Flora.

"Mine!" said Fauna.

"Calem will be my partner," said Serena. "You two just battle together."

Flora and Fauna agreed to this. Then they sent out Snow White and Rose Red.

"We'll battle with our Floette," said Calem. "Serena and I evolved our Flabebe while we were battling yesterday."

Calem sent out his orange Floette Marmalade, and Serena sent out her blue Floette Thumbelina.

"Marmalade, use Razor Leaf!" said Calem. Marmalade shot leaves at the opposing Floette.

"Thumbelina, use Vine Whip!" said Serena. Thumbelina whipped Snow White.

"Snow White, use Lucky Chant!" said Flora. Snow White braced herself from critical hits.

"Rose Red, use Tackle!" said Fauna. Rose Red tackled Thumbelina.

"Marmalade, use Lucky Chant!" said Calem. Marmalade braced herself.

"Thumbelina, use Razor Leaf!" said Serena. Thumbelina fired leaves at the opposing Floette, making both of them faint.

"We won!" said Serena. She and Calem sent their Floette back to their Poke Balls.

Flora and Fauna pretended to cry for a minute.

"Aw," said Fauna, "the cute boy didn't go easy on us!"

"Have mercy on us," said Flora.

"It's not so bad," said Calem. "You battled fine."

"But we lost," said Flora.

"I guess you should still work on your training," said Serena.

The twins nodded their heads.

"Well," said Flora, "at least we have Calem."

"Calem is cute," said Fauna. "Very cute!"

Flora and Fauna looked at each other and smirked. Then they jumped up to Calem. Fauna hugged Calem and Flora took Calem's cap off and started to stroke his hair.

"Such soft brown hair," said Flora.

"He's so sweet!" said Fauna.

"Stop it, girls!" said Calem.

"He's so cute when he's all pouty like that," said Fauna.

"I think you should stop, girls!" said Serena.

"So nice...so soft...so sweet..." said Flora, giving Calem a kiss on his head.

Serena noticed that a big, ugly woman was approaching the twins from behind. She looked to be in her early fifties, and had blonde hair in a Lady Tremaine hairstyle, heavy wrinkles, and small eyes. She wore a long pink dress, a lacy mauve jacket, and a pink pillbox hat. She had a stern, angry look on her face.

"Flora! Fauna!" said Serena. "Look behind you!"

"Huh?" said the twins.

Flora and Fauna turned around and looked at the frightening woman.

"What are you doing?" asked the woman angrily.

"Mother!" said the twins.

"I've been looking for you for a whole day," said the woman. "You girls foolishly disobeyed your mother and I'm here to take you back!" She looked at Calem. "And who is this filthy, lower-class boy that you're strangling?" Flora and Fauna loosened their grip on Calem, who was kind of hurt by the woman's crass remarks.

"That's Calem," said Flora. "And the girl with us is his friend Serena."

"And who are you?" Serena asked the woman.

"I'm Clorinda d'Hautpoul," said the woman, "and these naughty girls are my daughters!"

Clorinda turned to her daughters.

"Your impertinence is intolerable!" snapped Clorinda. "Associating with lower-class people and not bothering to obey social etiquette? No lady shall ever gain influence if she acts like you two!"

"Clorinda," said Calem, "just because you're rich, doesn't mean you can act so rotten to us! And by the way, my family isn't poor. Neither is Serena's..."

"Fool!" yelled Clorinda. She grabbed Calem's shoulder and shook him a few times. "That will teach you how to talk to your superiors."

"Mother," said Flora, "do not treat these kids like this. They were nice to us."

"Yeah!" said Fauna.

Clorinda remained focused on Calem and Serena.

"Listen, you louts," said Clorinda. "You children should know your place and not step out of line. Flora and Fauna stepped out of line and they will be punished." Clorinda pounded her fist into her other hand. Flora and Fauna gulped.

"But that's not fair!" said Calem.

"Life isn't fair," said Clorinda. She shook Calem once, and he dropped his bag. Cal accidentally fell out the bag. She looked at him. "A doll? Oh, please! You're too old for that! Besides, you should know that boys don't play with dolls!" The last words were said rather loudly.

Calem clutched his doll. Tears fell from his eyes.

"Listen," said Serena, "you've said enough mean-spirited things. So stop being a bully and leave us alone."

"Suit yourself, peasants," said Clorinda. "I'll just be taking my daughters home. Good riddance! If I catch you near my daughters again, you'll be sorry!"

Clorinda and her daughters began to leave.

"Bye, Calem," said Flora.

"We'll miss you, cutie," said Fauna.

"Stop that!" said Clorinda.

"Yes, Mother," said the twins.

Serena went over to see Calem, who was still crying.

"There, there," said Serena.

"I was afraid that she would beat me up," cried Calem. "Oh, Serena. Clorinda is horrible! How could someone say so many nasty things in just a short time? Those girls don't deserve to have a mother like that, no matter how annoying they are."

"Cheer up, Calem," said Serena. "Just don't let it get to you."

"It's hard," said Calem. "And no one's ever said anything mean about Cal! Do you think I should get rid of him? I don't want to."

"No one's getting rid of anything," said Serena, patting Calem on the head. "Cal loves you. I know he does."

"I know," cried Calem, "and I love him too!"

"Let's just try to avoid that pompous windbag," said Serena. "And don't let her arrogance bother you."

"I guess you're right," said Calem. "I just pray that Flora and Fauna will be able to break free from Clorinda."

"I know what will make you feel better," said Serena. "How about a picnic lunch with me and Shauna? Shauna was at the Pokemon Center preparing some nice chicken fingers and couscous and baguettes. And we'll have some strawberry pie for dessert!"

Calem felt happy all of a sudden.

"I am there," he said.

Later, Calem, Serena, and Shauna sat down at their picnic and ate.

"This food is delicious!" said Calem. "You really outdid yourself."

"I know," said Shauna, "I am a good cook. Mom taught me."

"I especially love the piquant sauce you made," said Serena.

"It's delicious," said Calem. "Tastes so good, you'd swear Siebold made it!"

Shauna's eyes rolled.

"Still talking about that jerk?" she asked. "I'm not trying to copy him."

"You're not still mad about the ring, I hope," said Calem.

"No," said Shauna. "Tierno said he'd give me another ring one day. It's just that I hate Siebold."

"Hate is a strong word," said Serena. "And if you want to know a real jerk, wait until you've met Clorinda d'Hautpoul."

Shauna gasped.

"Oh, no!" said Shauna. "Not her."

"She's the twins' mother," said Calem. "And she came to take them back. I kinda feel bad for Flora and Fauna - having to put up with her."

"I feel bad too," said Serena.

"I don't know what to say," said Shauna. "You're on your own."

"Oh well," said Serena. "I do hope we meet them again."

"As long as they go easy on the romance," said Calem.

The three of them laughed.


	17. Parfum Palace

_**A/N: **Parfum Palace in this story is much bigger than the one in the game. I was making it comparable to the real Palace of Versailles._

* * *

**CHAPTER 17: PARFUM PALACE**

Calem, Serena, and their friends spent two days in Camphrier Town. They enjoyed the atmosphere in the town as they spent their time there.

On a hot day, Tierno and Trevor decided to go training on Route 7. Calem, Serena, and Shauna stayed around Camphrier Town. Since it was so hot, Calem, Serena, and Shauna decided to play in a stream. The three of them put on their swimsuits. Calem wore a light blue speedo, Serena wore a pink bikini, and Shauna wore a black bikini with white polka dots.

As the three swam in the stream, they viewed all of the scenery.

"This is a very nice area," said Calem. "The landscapers keep the plants looking beautiful."

"I think it's great too," said Serena. "But boy is it hot today!"

"Perfect weather for my new bikini," said Shauna. "I purchased it in Lumiose City."

"It looks good on you," said Calem.

"Too bad you didn't purchase swimsuits from there," said Shauna.

"We'll get new swimsuits at the boutique in Cyllage City," said Serena. "That one has a great selection." She turned to Calem. "They sell them quite cheap. And I'm sure plenty of them would look good on you."

Calem blushed.

"I see Parfum Palace in the distance," said Serena. "I think we should go there tomorrow. There might be something useful in there for our journey."

"I'd like to go just to see how grand it is," said Shauna.

"I've been there before," said Calem. "It's really amazing."

The next day, Calem, Serena, and Shauna decided to go to Parfum Palace. Calem and Serena dressed in the outfits that they wore to the discotheque. Shauna wore a frilly pink dress. They skated along the tree-lined path on Route 6. There were a number of tourists taking pictures. The three kids decided to ignore the tourists and go to the palace without getting into anyone's way.

When Calem, Serena, and Shauna arrived at the palace, they were awestruck.

"Wow!" said Shauna. "This palace must be the size of a city."

"It is," said Calem. "It's one of the biggest palaces in the world."

"What are we standing here for?" asked Serena. "We shall go in now!"

Calem, Serena, and Shauna went to the gate, where there was a guard.

"You're looking for an admission?" he asked. "That will be 1,000 Poke Dollars."

"Oh, man!" said Calem. "Normally you don't charge money."

"We've had to tighten our security because of some fools in pink costumes who keep causing trouble here," said the guard.

"I'll pay," said Serena. She handed the money to the guard.

"Merci," said the guard. "You may go in."

The gate to the palace opened. Calem, Serena, and Shauna went inside the gates and made their way to the front door. The front doors opened and the three of them entered the palace.

When the three entered the palace, they were awestruck by its size. The main hall was huge, and it was lined with golden statues of great beauty. The most elegant statue of all was a life-sized statue of a Milotic, which is said to be the world's most beautiful Pokemon.

"Which room shall we go in first?" asked Calem. "There are hundreds of rooms!"

"Let's look in this one," said Shauna, pointing to a door.

"Okay," said Calem.

The three of them went inside the room. This room contained the king's chamber. There was a huge green bed decorated with the finest sheets.

"That bed looks really comfortable," said Serena.

"I wish I could have a bed like that!" said Calem.

"It's magnifique!" said Shauna.

Calem, Serena, and Shauna looked into many of the other rooms. They saw rooms with all sorts of paintings, and statues of rare Pokemon that looked very odd to them. One room that Calem really liked was a room decorated with lifelike statues and paintings of Aromatisse.

"These are incredible!" said Calem. He turned to Serena and Shauna. "Aromatisse is my favorite Pokemon. I knew they had a room here, but I've never seen it before. Supposedly, one of the king's mistresses, Esperance d'Arome, collected dozens of Aromatisse. They traveled with her all over Kalos and to many faraway countries. I would love to have an Aromatisse of my own one day."

"There are plenty of Spritzee on Route 7," said Serena. "You can catch one and evolve it."

"They say that Spritzee are hard to evolve," said Calem, "but having an item called a Sachet makes it easy, especially when given to someone else as a gift."

"I guess that's where trading comes in," said Serena. "Swirlix is similar, only it prefers the Whipped Dream - and it evolves into Slurpuff, my favorite Pokemon."

"Swirlix also live on Route 7," said Calem. "In fact, according to a book on Fairy-type Pokemon that my maternal grandparents gave me, Swirlix and Spritzee breed with each other frequently."

There was also a part of the palace that Serena really liked. It was the queen's private rooms.

"The queen must have really enjoyed these rooms," said Serena. "Even her vanity looks amazing." The vanity had plenty of gold and jewels embedded into it.

"She supposedly had dresses that cost a fortune," said Calem. "It took a lot of silk to make just one!"

"Wow," said Shauna. "Everything seems to be made of gold. Even the utensils are gold." Shauna held up a golden fork.

"Be careful with that!" said Calem.

Calem, Serena, and Shauna looked around at other rooms. They came to one room where there was billiards. They saw two formidable-looking people - it was Grimsley and Caitlin, two members of the Unova Elite Four.

"Hello, children," said Grimsley.

"Are you Grimsley?" asked Calem.

"Yes," said Grimsley. "I brought Caitlin with me. We're on our honeymoon."

"Aw, how sweet!" said Shauna.

"I wanted to see this palace for myself," said Caitlin, "so Grimsley is taking me. Right, dear?"

"Right," said Grimsley.

"The bedchambers are amazing!" said Caitlin. "I wish I could sleep in them."

"Me too," said Serena.

"By the way," said Grimsley, "a powerful Trainer I met last year is visiting today. You might like him. His name is Wikstrom, and he's one of the Kalos Elite Four."

"We'll look for him," said Calem. "We met Siebold a while back, so we'd love to meet Wikstrom."

"Wikstrom is a card," said Caitlin. "He loves to talk in a medieval style. He does it as part of his job, but sometimes he just does it to mess with people."

"This I gotta see," said Shauna.

"He's outside," said Grimsley. "Just tell him that we said hi."

"We will!" said Calem.

Calem, Serena, and Shauna had explored over a hundred rooms by now. They eventually came to a rather lonely room that didn't seem to be frequented by tourists very often. When the three of them looked inside, they saw a mysterious woman. She was tall and slender, and she was wearing an exquisite pink Marie Antoinette gown with layers of ruffles and lace. The dress had a fuchsia bow on the front. She had pink hair that was put up in a fancy style, which went with her pink eyes. Her lips were decorated with fuchsia lipstick. Around her head was a pearl tiara with a red jewel with pink feathers attached to the jewel, as well as a short fuchsia veil on the back. She also had two necklaces on - each with a crystal decorated with fairy wings.

"Well I'll be," said Calem. "She must be one of the people who work here in costume."

"Her dress is so pretty," said Shauna.

"The dress is pretty," said Calem, "but the hairstyle is..."

"Not pretty," said Serena. "It's 300 years out of date. And even worse...I think it really is her hair."

Calem, Serena, and Shauna walked to the mysterious woman.

"Who are you children?" she asked them.

"Uh...tourists..." said Shauna.

"We just wanted to see the palace," said Calem.

"Do you work here?" asked Serena.

The woman cocked her head back and gave a proud look.

"Why, of course not!" she said. "Wasting my time to entertain some silly tourists would be quite foolish. I own a company, of which I am president. Mycompany is called Sylphide Enterprises, and we do research in Fairy-type Pokemon. The Fairy type is the best type that exists, and also the most enigmatic. It has great potential to be explored."

"Can you tell us your name?" asked Calem.

"I am known as Carabosse," said the woman. "I have dedicated my life to the research of Fairy-type Pokemon. I have high hopes for myself."

"Well, Carabosse," said Calem, "I guess we could help you with your research."

"That will not be necessary," said Carabosse. "I already have a whole staff of researchers." Carabosse's eyes twinkled. "Fairy Pokemon are said to be quite powerful. In fact, the legendary Pokemon Xerneas is a Fairy-type. But that fool Lysandre dismisses Xerneas' power, and insists that Xerneas' counterpart Yveltal is the stronger of the two. Lysandre and his goons have mocked my company and ridiculed my workers. We are at war with them."

"Lysandre is studying Yveltal?" asked Serena.

"Yes," said Carabosse. "He thinks it's a great Pokemon. But I know that Xerneas is the stronger one. Lysandre was an old colleague of mine, and him and his foolish team, with their stupid Holo Casters, have been taking Kalos by storm. That's why I prefer to keep my company an enigma. If Lysandre thinks of me as a rival, then I am a more than worthy opponent."

"I think Xerneas is stronger," said Shauna. "I kind of had that feeling."

"Good," said Carabosse. "I know that it has power. And now, I must tend to my own research. So go now!"

"Uh..." said Calem.

"Go now!" said Carabosse. "I must be alone." Calem, Serena, and Shauna left the room.

Once the three were gone, Carabosse took out a pink diamond encrusted cell phone. She dialed a number. Phones were not permitted in most of the Parfum Palace, so technically Carabosse was breaking the rules.

"Bonjour?" she said. "Felina, is that you? This is the boss speaking. These little brats came up to me. ...How did I deal with them? Fine. I just don't want them to know that our Fairy-type research goes far beyond research. Of course they don't realize that we have big plans. Lysandre's team is not the only criminal organization that people will have to fear. ...Oh, sorry. I shouldn't have referred to us as criminals. We're not criminals. But we need to find a way to swipe as many Fairy-type Pokemon as we can for our research. The admins are already working on ways to take Fairy-type Pokemon from their Trainers. My work is going to come out, and I will emerge victorious. I want to show Lysandre who's the master of duplicity!"

Looks like Lysandre has a rival - and she's up to no good as well!


	18. Fireworks

**CHAPTER 18: FIREWORKS**

Calem, Serena, and Shauna walked through the palace more. They were quite suspicious of Carabosse, but they didn't know what to make of her. They might have thought that she was innocent, but if that was the case, they would have really regretted it afterwards.

After exploring much of the inside palace, Calem, Serena, and Shauna went outside. The gardens were expansive, and had tens of thousands of flowers. The flowers were being tended by dozens of Florges - all five colors were represented - accompanied by Flabebe and Floette. There were also hedge mazes that were quite grand. There were two large statues - one of Reshiram and the other of Zekrom - and countless smaller statues, including giant Poke Balls.

Calem, Serena, and Shauna walked all around the gardens. They admired all of the flowers. Calem liked them a lot - he let out his Floette to look at all of the flowers. He even took out Cal and made him dance among the flowers.

"These flowers are so beautiful!" said Calem. "I love flowers. I like helping Mom plant them."

"I especially like the yellow roses," said Serena. "They are my favorite."

"I like the mountain laurels," said Calem. "I also like the purple foxgloves and the carnations."

Shauna walked up to a bush with green hydrangea flowers.

"Why are these flowers green?" she asked. "I've never seen green flowers before."

"Those are hydrangeas," said Calem. "They're one of the few flowers that can have green petals."

"Oh," said Shauna.

Some of the Flabebe and Floette noticed the group and started to dance around them. Eventually, two Florges - a red one and a yellow one - approached the group and did a dance.

"Wow," said Calem. "You're really beautiful. You're much prettier than Milotic." The Florges giggled.

Calem felt the Florges' flowers.

"Your flowers are so soft," said Calem. "You like being petted, don't you?"

After a while, Calem returned his Floette to her Poke Ball and put Cal back in his bag.

Calem, Serena, and Shauna walked onward. They came to a young man who looked to be not much older than them. He had parted blond hair and green eyes. He was accompanied by an orange Florges.

"Hello," said the young man. "I see you like the gardens. My father is one of the gardeners here."

"Hi," said the group.

"My name is Victor," said the young man, "and this is my Florges, Marigold. Marigold is looking for her Pixie Plate. I am wondering where I can find it."

"We'll help you find it," said Calem.

"Thanks," said Victor.

"Do you know where you left it?" asked Shauna.

"I don't know exactly," said Victor. "I think it was at the Queen's Hamlet. Why don't you have a look there?"

Marigold floated towards the group.

"Why don't you take Marigold with you?" asked Victor. "She's like a natural Dowsing Machine - she can find lost items pretty well."

"Okay," said Serena. "And we promise to return her to you!"

Calem, Serena, and Shauna went to the Queen's Hamlet. There they looked around the cottage grounds for a Pixie Plate.

"I don't see it," said Calem.

"Where could it be?" asked Serena.

Then a voice interrupted.

"WHO COMETH HERE?"

Calem, Serena, and Shauna turned around. They saw a slightly chubby man with dark hair similar to Grimsley's. He was wearing a green sweater vest over a white shirt and black pants.

"Who are you?" asked Serena.

"I am called Wikstrom," said the man. "I am one of the Elite Four."

"What are you doing here?" asked Calem.

"I am patrolling the place for any suspicious individuals," said Wikstrom. "I happened to be in the neighborhood when these odd people in pink uniforms were spending time here."

"Oh," said Serena. "We're looking for a Pixie Plate. Did you find one by any chance?"

"I found one inside the queen's cottage earlier this morning," said Wikstrom. "Is that the one you are looking for?"

"Yes," said Calem. "It belongs to a Florges owned by a young man named Victor."

"Here it is," said Wikstrom, handing a Pixie Plate to Marigold. "I shall accompany you to see him."

"You're cool, Wikstrom," said Shauna.

"Thank you," said Wikstrom. "And what is your name, my good lady?"

"I am Shauna," said Shauna. "And these are my friends Calem and Serena."

Calem, Serena, Shauna, Wikstrom, and Marigold returned to Victor. Marigold showed the Pixie Plate to Victor.

"Thank you!" said Victor. "And as my reward, here are some Amulet Coins for each of you." Victor gave Calem, Serena, and Shauna Amulet Coins. Wikstrom told Victor that he already had several Amulet Coins.

"My work here is done," said Wikstrom. He turned to Calem, Serena, and Shauna. "Remember, though that Amulet Coin will earn you extra money, keep in mind that money isn't everything. It is better to be poor and happy than to be rich and miserable."

"Thanks for the advice!" said Serena.

"And now, I'll be on my way," said Wikstrom. He bade farewell to the group and left.

"That Amulet Coin will give you extra money in battle," said Victor. "Give it to one of your Pokemon."

"Sure," said Calem.

"Thanks again for the help," said Victor.

Calem, Serena, and Shauna left Victor and Marigold and made their way to the main part of the gardens, where all the hedges were. There they were greeted by a nervous man.

"My precious Furfrou has run off!" he said. "You must help me find him. I think it's in one of the hedges."

"We'll get him for you..." said Calem.

"My name is Lenny," said the man.

"Come along, Calem!" said Shauna. Shauna pulled Calem's hand and dragged him along.

Shauna looked through all of the hedges for the Furfrou, but to no avail. Eventually, she reached one hedge that had a dead end. By the time she and Calem were about to leave it, they noticed that the Furfrou was there.

"There you are!" said Shauna. "Here we are to return you to your owner."

The Furfrou looked at Shauna.

"Ouaf!" it said, and took off.

"I'll need your help, Calem," said Shauna. "We'll distract Furfrou by standing at certain spots to corner him. That way Furfrou will be caught. Since I'm a much better runner than you are, I'll be the one to lunge at Furfrou. If the two of us work together, we can solve this problem!"

Calem and Shauna stood at different parts of the hedge maze. Furfrou ran up to the corner. Shauna lunged at Furfrou, but he took off again.

"Aaaugh!" said Shauna. "Stand somewhere else, Calem!"

Calem moved to another spot of the maze. Then Shauna moved again. When Furfrou came running up to them, Shauna lunged at him, but he took off yet again.

"Crap!" said Shauna. "We'll try again."

Shauna and Calem switched their positions again. When Furfrou was seen approaching, Shauna lunged at him, but he fled _again_.

This time, Shauna started cursing.

"Shauna, watch your language!" said Calem.

"We'll try one more time," said Shauna. She went to spy on Furfrou, who stopped at a place where it could be cornered at the dead end. "Hey! We can corner it from here!"

"Okay!" said Calem.

Calem and Shauna bolted at the Furfrou, and then it ran into the dead end.

"Ouaf..." said Furfrou.

"Ha ha!" said Shauna. "I caught you! Now you can't run away! We're going to take you back to your owner."

Lenny came running over to Calem and Shauna.

"My Furfrou!" said Lenny. "My dear Furfrou! I'm so glad you're safe! Could you two be responsible for my wonderfrou reunion with my dear Furfrou?"

"Yes," said Calem.

"How wonderfrou!" said Lenny. "As a reward, we'll invite you two to watch our firework show this evening. You can see it on the exclusive balcony! A little rendezvous, non?"

"But what about Serena?" asked Calem. "She should be there too." At the moment, Serena was lost in another, larger hedge maze.

"She can watch from the ground," said Lenny. "Or somewhere else."

Calem felt disappointed with this.

"Come along, Furfrou," said Lenny. Lenny took Furfrou with him and left.

"I feel guilty about not taking Serena," said Calem.

"Don't feel guilty," said Shauna. "At least you have me." Shauna sighed. "Maybe it would've been better if we left Furfrou behind. If I were a Pokemon, I'd hate to have a Trainer like that. But I am really looking forward to the fireworks show."

"I guess you're right," sighed Calem.

It took the rest of the day for Serena to find her way back to the palace. Luckily, Victor and Marigold had come to Serena's rescue by showing her a way out of the hedges. But by then, it was too late - it was starting to get dark and the fireworks would be ready soon. Serena was lucky enough to find an Hidden Machine in the hedges. This was HM01, which contained Cut.

Lenny saw Serena making her way to the palace.

"Hey, you!" he said. "What are you doing?"

"Where are Calem and Shauna?" asked Serena.

"They're on the exclusive balcony watching the show," said Lenny.

"Can I go there right away?" asked Serena.

"Sorry, kid," said Lenny. "The balcony is off-limits unless you have the money."

"But why are my friends there?" asked Serena.

"They found my Furfrou," said Lenny. "Now go on. Get lost. Shoo!"

Serena ran away from Lenny and went inside the palace. She took the nearest staircase to see where Calem and Shauna were.

"Where is this balcony?" Serena asked herself.

Eventually, Serena came to the balcony where Calem and Shauna were standing. She stood at the doorway and saw Shauna talking to Calem.

"I'll never forget these fireworks," said Shauna, "because I watched them with you, Calem."

The firework show started. There were plenty of colorful fireworks taking the shapes of various Pokemon. Calem and Serena were awestruck at the whole sight, but Serena looked on with sadness.

When the show was over, Serena continued to listen.

"That. Was. AMAZING!" said Shauna.

"It was most magnificent," said Calem.

"I never ever want to forget this," said Shauna, "I'll keep this memory forever in an album in my heart." Serena saw Shauna hold Calem's hand. This sight made Serena burst into tears.

Lenny and Furfrou came in from another direction. Serena hid behind a plant.

"And that was my wonderfrou firework show!" said Lenny.

"It was fantastic!" said Calem.

"I haven't seen anything like it!" said Shauna.

"And here is my present for you," he said. He handed some Furfrou stickers to Calem and Shauna. "This is to thank you for your help. And now Furfrou and I must go. Tootles!" Lenny and Furfrou left Calem and Shauna alone. Luckily, Lenny did not notice Serena.

Calem and Shauna were disappointed.

"That's it?" said Shauna. "That's all we get for saving Furfrou?"

"What a ripoff," said Calem.

"Now that's a memory I'd like to forget," said Shauna. "Jerk."

Calem then saw Serena come out of the plant. She had tears running down her face.

"I can't believe it," cried Serena. "I wasn't invited to the firework show, and now I see that you are in love with Shauna! You betrayed me, Calem! How could you?"

Calem felt bad about this. He walked over to Shauna.

"Don't be silly, Serena," said Calem. "I'm not in love with Shauna. If anything, I would have rather watched the show with you. No offense, Shauna."

"None taken," said Shauna.

"I'm sorry, Serena," said Calem. "I didn't know this would upset you. Please forgive me!"

"I forgive you," said Serena, wiping her tears.

"I didn't like Lenny much either," said Calem.

"He is a jerk," said Shauna. "Let's just not think about him anymore."

"Agreed," said Calem.

"It's getting late," said Serena. "Let's go back to the Hotel Camphrier. Tomorrow, we'll explore Route 7."

Calem, Serena, and Shauna left the Parfum Palace. Then, they walked Shauna back to the Pokemon Center. After they dropped her off, Calem and Serena went back to the hotel.


	19. The Battle Chateau

**CHAPTER 19: THE BATTLE CHATEAU**

The next morning, Calem and Serena woke up to a bright morning. They decided to do some training on Route 6 before heading on to Route 7.

"My word," said Calem. "This grass is even taller than I am. It must be hard to find your way through it."

"There should be plenty of Pokemon hiding in the grass," said Serena. "Let's have a look now."

Calem and Serena had a look through the grass. They saw plenty of Pokemon while looking through, and tried to catch as many as they could. Calem managed to catch a male Espurr and a female Oddish, and Serena caught a female Honedge and a male Sentret.

After they each caught some Pokemon, Calem and Serena met up.

"I like my Oddish," said Calem. "I think I'll call her Fiore. I'd love to evolve her into a Vileplume eventually. I'd like to do some training with her."

"I'll train my Pokemon too," said Serena.

Calem was thinking about Serena's Fletchling, Twitter. He had not seen it for quite some time.

"Whatever happened to Twitter?" asked Calem.

"I traded Twitter away for a Seaking," said Serena. "I thought it was good, but when I tried battling with it, Seaking wouldn't obey any of my commands. So I stored it away in the PC."

"That's too bad," said Calem. "Dad told me that traded Pokemon won't always obey their Trainers if they are at too high a level. What level was that Seaking at?"

"I think it was at Level 60 or something," said Serena. "No wonder why it was disobedient."

Calem and Serena continued to walk through the grass. They split up for a while so they could battle Trainers. When they felt that they had battled enough Trainers, the two of them met up at the intersection of Route 6 and Route 7.

"That was a pretty good warm up!" said Serena. "We should meet up with the guys at Route 7. But first let's go back to the hotel to get our stuff."

Calem and Serena went back to the hotel to get their stuff, and then they checked out of it and made their way to Route 7.

"Route 7 is a very long route," said Serena. "I mean very long. It can take days to reach Cyllage City by foot. But there's a train station somewhere around here. We could probably take the train from there."

"Sure," said Calem.

Calem and Serena looked at all the flowers.

"Spritzee and Swirlix live around here," said Calem. "Want to look for some?"

"Okay," said Serena. "I'll go look for a Swirlix."

"And I'll look for a Spritzee," said Calem.

Calem and Serena ran into the tall flowers. Calem encountered a male Spritzee floating around. At once he sent out Fiore.

"Fiore, use Acid!" said Calem.

Fiore sprayed acid onto Spritzee, which damaged it significantly. Spritzee responded by using Fairy Wind, which did only a little damage.

Calem then threw a Great Ball at Spritzee. The ball shook three times and caught the Pokemon.

"Woo-hoo!" said Calem. "I finally have a Spritzee of my own! I'm going to call you Snozzberry."

Meanwhile, Serena was battling a female Swirlix. She had sent out Lucien, who was now a Wartortle.

"Lucien, use Water Gun!" said Serena. Lucien squirted water at Swirlix. Swirlix responded by using Play Nice, which lowered Lucien's Attack.

Serena then ordered Lucien to use Bite. It bit the opposing Swirlix, and Swirlix responded by using Fake Tears. After that, Serena used a Great Ball, and managed to catch Swirlix.

"Gotcha!" said Serena. "I'm calling you Saccharine."

Calem and Serena met up and showed each other their Pokemon. Then they decided to travel on. The two admired the river as they walked along the path, and even passed by the Pokemon Day Care. The sounds of Pokemon playing filled the air.

Eventually, Calem and Serena saw Shauna.

"Hey, guys!" said Shauna.

"How are you?" asked Calem.

"Good," said Shauna. "Right now, Tierno is dancing with his Pokemon." Calem, Serena, and Shauna looked in the distance to see Tierno practicing dance moves with his Pokemon. They saw a white Floette and a Roselia dancing around.

"He's got good moves," said Serena.

"I know," said Shauna. "I have a brilliant idea! Which one of you wants to battle me?"

"Whose Pokemon are leveled higher?" Calem asked Serena.

"I think mine are leveled higher," said Serena.

"I guess I'll battle Shauna," said Calem. He turned to Shauna. "I'll be your opponent!"

Calem sent out Fiore. Shauna sent out Chrysanthe, who was now a Floette.

"Fiore, use Acid!" said Calem. Fiore sprayed Acid on Chrysanthe, damaging her.

"Chrysanthe, use Fairy Wind!" said Shauna. Chrysanthe blew a mystical wind at Fiore, but it wasn't very effective.

"Fiore, use Acid!" said Calem. Fiore sprayed more acid at Chrysanthe. It was a critical hit, and Chrysanthe fainted.

Shauna then sent out an Oddish, who she called Leilani. She had planned on evolving her into a Bellossom. Calem called Fiore back and sent out Athenais.

"Athenais, use Ember!" said Calem. Athenais shot some flames at Leilani. They managed to faint her before she could even attack.

Shauna then sent out Cleopatra. Calem called Athenais back and sent out Naveen.

"Naveen, use Bubble!" said Calem. Naveen blew bubbles at Cleopatra.

"Cleopatra, use Psybeam!" said Shauna. Cleopatra shot a strange beam at Naveen.

"Naveen, use Water Pulse!" said Calem. Naveen fired water at Cleopatra. Cleopatra fainted. Calem and Shauna recalled their Pokemon. Also, after the battle, Fiore evolved into a Gloom.

"I lost again," said Shauna.

"You both did well," said Serena.

"How's Tierno and Trevor doing?" asked Calem.

"Good," said Shauna. "They're doing quite well. Trevor and Tierno each have a Floette. And you still have yours, so I guess each of us has a color."

"I guess so," said Calem.

Calem then saw an Artist pacing around. She looked kind of sad. Calem and Serena walked up to her.

"Hello," said Calem. "What's your name?"

"My name is Elissa," said the Artist.

"I remember you," said Calem. "Blaise talked about you. The two of you are very close."

"Yes," said Elissa.

Elissa sighed.

"I'm afraid I can't be with him," said Elissa.

"Why not?" asked Calem. "He gave you the Flabebe, right."

"He did, but..." said Elissa.

"But what?" asked Serena.

"Blaise has started spending a lot of time at the Battle Chateau - that big building over there," said Elissa, pointing out the Battle Chateau, "and he's been training with those other rich people. Some of them didn't take too kindly to me when I walked in there. One girl said my clothes looked like they came from the trash bin."

"That's terrible!" said Calem.

"And he's made friends with this Lady named Cerise," said Elissa. "He hasn't had much time for me this week. I'm afraid that he's going to forget all about me. The Battle Chateau has changed him." Elissa began to cry.

"Wait a minute!" said Serena. "Just because he's spending time with people of his own kind, doesn't mean that he's a different person."

"He still cares about you," said Calem.

"No," said Elissa. "I'm poor. My family doesn't have much money. And Blaise is the son of a noble. Face it - rich people and poor people can't be friends."

"That's not true!" said Calem.

"We should talk to Blaise," said Serena. "We're marching in that Battle Chateau right now!"

Serena took Elissa inside the Battle Chateau. Calem followed. They saw that the place was full of rich people. Viola was there too.

Viola turned around and saw Calem and Serena.

"Hi!" said Viola. "I talked to the owner of this place, and he said that you two are free to battle here whenever you want. You can make a lot of money from battling the Trainers here. They also let you have a title as if you were a real noble!"

"Sounds great!" said Serena.

"We're here for something else," said Calem.

"I'm looking for a young man named Blaise," said Elissa. "Is he here?"

"He's here," said Viola. "He's talking with Cerise."

"We have to find him!" said Elissa.

Elissa, Calem, and Serena looked around the chateau for Blaise. They found him in the dining room, talking with Lady Cerise - the girl that Elissa had mentioned.

"Stop!" said Elissa.

Blaise looked at Elissa.

"Elissa?" asked Blaise.

"Who is she?" asked Cerise.

"Blaise!" said Elissa. "I don't want you to go on a date with Cerise. It's just that...I like you."

"Huh?" said Cerise. She laughed. "She thinks you and I are a couple."

Blaise got up from his seat and walked up to Elissa.

"Sorry, Blaise," said Elissa. "I was afraid that you didn't have time for me now that you are battling here. I know I shouldn't be here now, but I really wanted to see you. I just hope that we can still spend time together. It's just that I hope I can be your friend, even though I am not rich like you."

Blaise felt bad about what Elissa had said.

"Elissa," said Blaise, "you know that I'll always be your friend. And of course I'll spend time with you. I talked to my parents, and they said that you can come over to my place anytime you want. I'll also talk to the people here so that they won't be rude to you when you visit."

"And Blaise is not my boyfriend," said Cerise. "We're just friends. I don't think we'd be very compatible for dating, though. We don't really share any interests."

"Blaise and I share plenty of interests," said Elissa.

"See?" said Cerise. "He's much more suited to you, Elissa. Doesn't matter that you're not rich."

"Good," said Elissa.

Elissa ran up to Blaise and hugged him.

"Thanks," said Elissa.

"You're welcome," said Blaise.

Blaise turned to Calem and Serena.

"Since you're always welcome here," said Blaise, "do you want to battle some of the people here?"

"Of course!" said Serena.

Calem and Serena battled many of the people who were at the Battle Chateau. Some were quite friendly, but others were snobs. Calem and Serena ended up having fun battling.

When it started to get late, Calem and Serena bade farewell to everyone.

"We'll come back someday!" said Calem.

"I wish you the best of luck," said Blaise.

"And thanks for helping me," said Elissa.

"Don't mention it," said Serena.

"We were honored to have you," said Viola. "Don't forget to say hi to Alexa when you see her!"

Calem and Serena said goodbye to everyone and left. Then they met up with Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor.

"What took you so long?" asked Shauna.

"We were at the Battle Chateau," said Serena.

"It's late," said Tierno. "Shouldn't we find a motel?"

"There's one on the way," said Trevor. "We'll go there and stay there for the night."

"Okay," said Calem.

"Let's go," said Serena.

Calem, Serena, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor made their way to the motel. They checked in and got some rooms. Everyone called it a day and got ready for bed.

* * *

Calem's team: Frogadier "Naveen" (level 25), Pikachu "Volty" (level 24), Fletchinder "Athenais" (level 25), Floette (orange) "Marmalade" (level 25), Gloom "Fiore" (level 23), Spritzee "Snozzberry" (level 22)

Serena's team: Quilladin "Chipper" (level 26), Pidgeotto "Marco" (level 26), Wartortle "Lucien" (level 25), Floette (blue) "Thumbelina" (level 25), Swirlix "Saccharine" (level 23)

Shauna's team: Braixen "Cleopatra" (level 23), Oddish "Leilani" (level 20), Floette (yellow) "Chrysanthe" (level 21)

Tierno's team: Corphish (level 23), Floette (white) (level 21), Roselia (level 20)

Trevor's team: Litleo (level 23), Floette (red) (level 21), Skiddo (level 21)


	20. Kalos Illustrated Swimsuit Edition

_**A/N:**__ I decided to have Calem and Serena go through Connecting Cave to Cyllage City. They'll go to Ambrette Town later. When they return to Cyllage from Ambrette, the two will face Grant._

_Chapter features more hot French swimsuits!_

* * *

**CHAPTER 20: KALOS ILLUSTRATED SWIMSUIT EDITION**

The next day, Calem and Serena decided to take the train. The train took the two of them across Route 7, and it stopped them at the station near the Connecting Cave.

Calem and Serena walked to the entrance of the Connecting Cave. This cave wasn't too long - it led directly to Cyllage City.

"Let's go through this cave," said Serena. "That way we can get to Cyllage City."

"Okay," said Calem.

The pair entered the cave and walked around. This cave was rather straightforward, and Calem and Serena could explore it with ease. The two of them had crossed the cave within a quarter of an hour.

Calem and Serena beheld Cyllage City from the top of the cliff. It was a splendid coastal town with a nice beach - and lots of energetic people. The pair walked down from the cliffs, and they encountered a guy on a bike. He was dressed in a sporty style. He looked at Calem and Serena.

"Yo, what's up?" he said. "The name's Grant! I'm the Gym Leader of this town! You might want to stop by and battle me when you're ready!"

"Sure," said Serena.

"But we're not ready," said Calem. "We want to go to the beach."

"Suit yourself," said Grant, riding away.

Calem and Serena took a walk around the town. They looked for the boutique. When they found it, they went inside.

"Hello!" said the saleswoman. "We have all sorts of sporty goods for you two sporty-looking kids!"

"Sounds great," said Serena.

When Calem and Serena were looking for clothes, Serena noticed that Calem had an awkward look.

"Is something on your mind, Calem?" asked Serena.

"Nah," said Calem. "It's just that...she said we were sporty-looking, and...I don't like sports."

"That's okay," said Serena.

Calem and Serena bought some clothes. Calem bought a green logo cap, a pink button accessory, a green logo T-shirt, and a zipped black jacket with green on it. Serena bought an aqua baby doll tee, blue skinny jeans, a striped blue tank top, green knee socks, and red accented jeans.

After that, Calem and Serena went to the saleswoman.

"We also have some hot swimsuits," said the saleswoman. "And they're on clearance! You'd love them!"

Calem and Serena went to look at the swimsuits. They were pretty cheap and they showed quite a bit. Calem bought three pairs of speedos - a black one, a purple one, and a green one with orange side stripes. Serena bought three bikinis - a green one, a light blue one with ruffles, and a red tie-dye one.

Afterwards, Calem and Serena purchased all of their clothes. Then they went to check into Hotel Cyllage.

"Want to go to the beach?" asked Serena.

"Sure!" said Calem.

"Let's get changed," said Serena.

Serena put on her green swimsuit, and Calem put on his black swimsuit. Then the two made their way to the beach.

The beach wasn't too crowded, but there were some people there. While Calem and Serena were looking for a place to put their stuff, a woman with long blonde hair who was clad in a red bikini approached them. Her name was Marissa.

"I'm getting tired of wearing this swimsuit," said Marissa. "I think I'll make this my last battle with it!"

Calem's eyes twitched. He didn't know what to make of this.

"I'll battle you," said Serena.

Marissa sent out a Masquerain. Serena sent out Marco.

Serena told Marco to use Gust. It damaged Masquerain quite a bit. Masquerain then used Gust back. Marco then responded with another Gust, and Masquerain fainted.

"I'm not tired of wearing swimsuits," said Marissa. "Just this one. All I need to do is buy a new one!"

"Just be careful how you word it," said Calem.

"Whatever," said Marissa.

Calem and Serena walked over to a good spot. This is where they met up with Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor. Shauna was wearing a pink bikini with black ruffles. Tierno and Trevor were wearing speedos - Tierno's was navy blue and Trevor's was white.

"Lookin' good!" said Serena.

"Thanks!" said Shauna. "My new bikini is simply fabulous!"

"Some rude tourists have commented on my swimsuit," said Tierno. "Fat people are allowed to wear swimsuits too!"

"Tell them to watch their mouths," said Calem.

"I did," said Tierno. "And I'm not going to dance in this."

"You should," said Trevor.

"Want to go in the water?" asked Serena.

"Sure!" said Calem.

"I'd love to," said Serena.

The five of them went in the water and started swimming around. Calem and Serena saw the Skrelp and Clauncher playing in the shallow water. Shauna almost walked too close to a Clauncher, which looked like it was ready to pinch with its big claw.

"Watch out!" said Tierno.

Shauna backed away from the Clauncher.

"Thanks, Tierno!" said Shauna.

"No problem," said Tierno. Then he got really shocked. "Watch out for that!"

"Huh?" asked Shauna.

But then Shauna noticed that a Dragalge was hugging her. It made weird squishy noises as it looked at her. She let out a scream.

"That thing likes you!" laughed Serena.

"It's pretty friendly for a Dragalge," said Trevor. "I always thought that they were rather unpleasant."

"It can't be wild," said Calem, "since Dragalge live in deep water. It must belong to someone."

The group turned around and saw a boy their age walking up to it. He had light blond hair that went down to his neck and green eyes. He was wearing a dark green speedo. He had goggles around his neck.

"Kelpie!" said the boy. "Let go of that girl!"

The Dragalge, whose name was Kelpie, let go of Shauna.

"Sorry," said the boy. "Kelpie's very affectionate. He likes to hug people. My name's Olivier, and I'm Kelpie's Trainer."

"I know you!" said Calem. "Our older sisters are friends! They did Training together."

"He's a little too affectionate," said Shauna. "It tried to strangle me!"

"Yeah," said Olivier. "Kelpie can be a pain sometimes. But I love him with all my heart."

"I guess so," said Shauna, "but Dragalge are not the nicest Pokemon. I mean, they spit poison at anything that goes in their territory."

"Kelpie only spits poison when he's angry," said Olivier. "He doesn't get angry often. But he can be territorial occasionally. He marks his territory with a special fluid. Dragalge have all sorts of chemicals in their system." He started to pet Kelpie. "I love how Dragalge feel. That's why I like them best. Drasna, my favorite Elite Four member, loves them too."

"Drasna loves Dragon-type Pokemon," said Trevor. "I wonder if she's here."

"She doesn't come here often," said Olivier. "But I love it when she does. She's probably the nicest person I've ever met. But I did see Siebold and Malva here."

"Aw," said Shauna mockingly, "they're a couple."

"Siebold has been married for quite some time now," said Olivier. "Malva's not married, though. She says she doesn't want to get married. She's a very private person. I doubt she and Siebold are even together. It's just a coincidence that both of them are here."

"Let's see if they're there," said Serena.

"There's Siebold," said Olivier. "I'll bring him to you."

Olivier took everyone to see Siebold. Siebold was sunbathing. He was wearing sunglasses, a straw hat, and a blue speedo. A blonde woman who was over a foot shorter than him was next to him. She was wearing a light blue bikini.

"He looks even hotter when he's sunbathing!" said Serena.

"He looks kind of sleepy," said Calem.

"He's half-asleep," said the woman. "Oh, sorry. I should have introduced myself. My name is Melia, and I'm Siebold's wife. We're on vacation."

"Where are the kids?" asked Trevor.

"They're in Lumiose City with my husband's brother and his wife," said Melia.

Siebold started to wake up and looked at the group.

"Calem? Serena?" he said. "What brings you out here?"

"We're on our journey," said Serena.

"It's so nice to see you," said Calem.

"I see you bought Shauna with you," said Siebold, "and Tierno and Trevor."

Olivier turned to the group.

"Are you fans of his?" asked Olivier. "I am!"

"Yes!" said Calem and Serena.

"No way!" said Shauna. "I don't like this guy." Shauna covered her mouth. "Oops!"

"That's fine," said Siebold. "Some people just don't like me. I just deal with it."

"Elite Four members have to deal with criticism," said Melia. "Just look at Malva - she's been acting weird lately and avoiding people. She's also been talking about Lysandre in a lot of her conversations. I think something might be up with her - I just don't know what."

"She's at the beach today," said Siebold. "I saw her using her Holo Caster."

Olivier saw Malva in the distance, using her Holo Caster. She was clad in a black string bikini with flames on it. Kelpie was staring at her.

"There she is," said Olivier.

"We better not disturb her," said Calem.

"Good idea," said Siebold.

"I think so," said Olivier. "Malva is the only Elite Four member who I don't like. She's pretty hostile."

Kelpie started to hug Olivier.

"But I like you, Kelpie," said Olivier.

"Why don't we all go for a swim?" asked Tierno.

"Want to come along too?" Serena asked Siebold and his wife.

"No thank you," said Siebold. "I think I'll work on my tan."

"And I'll apply the sunscreen," said Melia. She rubbed some suntan lotion on Siebold's chest and legs.

"We'll go swimming," said Calem. "It was nice to see you!"

The group went to go swimming.

"I still think he's weird," said Shauna. "And by the way, Siebold's feet were completely flat, and they were such a weird shape."

"I didn't know he had fallen arches," said Serena.

"He has them," said Calem. "It's just not too often that you see him with his shoes off. People say he wears flesh-colored socks to the beach sometimes."

Shauna then noticed that Kelpie was trying to hug her again!

"That thing has even more problems than Siebold," said Shauna.

"I think he likes you," said Trevor.

"I wish I could distract him with a Poke Puff," said Olivier, "but this swimsuit has no pockets for me to store them in."

Everyone except Shauna laughed.


	21. Ice Cream and Cookies

**CHAPTER 21: ICE CREAM AND COOKIES**

Calem and Serena went back to the hotel. They put on some of their new clothes. Serena especially liked wearing the red jeans.

"Those look nice on you," said Calem, running a hand through his brown hair.

"Thanks," said Serena. "Too bad they didn't have any nice pants."

"I did get some shorts from my mom over the PC," said Calem, "so I put on those. And I got clean boxers too!"

"That'll do," said Serena.

"My maternal grandparents live around here," said Calem. "We can go visit them."

"Sure," said Serena. "I wonder why we aren't staying with them, though."

"Their house isn't that big," said Calem. "There's not enough room. But they're very nice. They frequent the ice cream parlor here. Hey, maybe we can all go together!"

Serena laughed.

"I think I'd like to go to your grandparents' house first," said Serena.

"Sure," said Calem.

Calem and Serena left the hotel. They walked over to a house located right on the shore. This was the home of Calem's maternal grandparents, Fernando and Leticia Navarro. Calem knocked on the door, and Leticia came to open it.

"Hello?" said Leticia.

"Hello, Nani," said Calem, "it's me, Calem."

"Calem?" said Leticia. "Good to see you! Your parents told us you were going on a journey!"

"I brought my friend Serena," said Calem.

"Pleased to meet you," said Serena.

Calem and Serena went inside. Fernando greeted the two as they went in.

"How's your journey going, Calem?" asked Fernando.

"Good," said Calem. "Serena and I each have gotten a Gym Badge - we beat Viola at the Santalune Gym. We're waiting a few days to challenge another Gym - the one in this city. Personally, I think we can wait. But it feels good to be on the journey!"

"That's the spirit," said Fernando.

"How long have you been friends with Serena?" asked Leticia.

"About three months now," said Calem, "ever since I moved to Vaniville Town."

"We've caught a lot of Pokemon," said Serena.

"Excellent!" said Fernando.

"So," said Leticia, "do you want to go to the ice cream parlor?"

"Sure!" said Calem.

Fernando and Leticia took Calem and Serena to the ice cream parlor. Calem ordered watermelon ice cream with gummi bears and Serena ordered mint ice cream with chocolate sprinkles. Fernando and Leticia also got ice cream for themselves.

While Calem and Serena were eating their ice cream, they saw Olivier, who was clad in a green T-shirt and short black shorts. He was eating strawberry ice cream. Kelpie was there too, eating a fudge ripple sundae. Calem and Serena walked up to him.

"Excuse me," said Calem, "but why is Kelpie eating ice cream too?"

"Kelpie loves ice cream," said Olivier.

"That's kinda weird," said Serena.

"Some people feed their Pokemon anything," said Olivier. "Lucard Grandjean, the famous swimmer and diver, feeds his Pokemon pate de foie gras."

"That guy creeps me out," said Calem. "Are you sure he's even a man? He certainly doesn't act it."

"He's a man," said Olivier. "It might be hard to believe. But he is funny! He's going to be on TV tonight."

Fernando and Leticia looked at the Dragalge.

"This ice cream parlor really must be the best in town if Pokemon enjoy it too," said Leticia.

"Just be glad they're not mistaking Vanillite for ice cream," said Fernando.

Olivier looked at Calem and Serena with big eyes.

"Want to visit my house tonight?" he asked. "I've got some really cool stuff!"

"Sure," said Calem.

"My house is near the shore," said Olivier. "My bedroom overlooks the shore."

Calem turned to his grandparents.

"Olivier invited us over to his house," said Calem.

"But we'll stay at yours some more before going to his," said Serena.

"Okay," said Fernando.

"That would be delightful," said Leticia.

"We'll visit you tomorrow as well," said Calem.

Calem and Serena spent a few more hours at Fernando and Leticia's house, and then they went over to Olivier's house. Olivier lived in a small house with a modern style. Cyllage City had plenty of this type of house along the coast, and a lot of people liked living close to shore.

Olivier opened the door.

"Hello," said Olivier. "I see you've come to play."

"That's what we're here for," said Serena.

"What do you want to play?" asked Calem.

"How about we play Polignac?" asked Olivier. "It's a really fun card game."

"Sure," said Calem.

Calem and Serena played Polignac with Olivier in his room. Olivier managed to win every time, but Calem and Serena had fun anyway.

Later, Olivier's older sister Marie came in. She had blonde hair in a ponytail and blue eyes, and wore a pink sundress. She had a tray of cookies for them.

"I have double chocolate cookies for you!" said Marie.

"Mmm...double chocolate cookies..." said Serena.

Calem, Serena, and Olivier ate cookies together. Olivier got some Poke Puffs ready for Kelpie, but after Kelpie ate his Poke Puffs, Olivier saw that Kelpie wanted cookies too. Olivier decided to give Kelpie a cookie. Kelpie sucked the cookie up in its snout.

"Kelpie is a big eater," said Calem.

"I know," said Olivier. "He's really fun." He then got excited suddenly. "Lucard Grandjean is on TV in five minutes! We should watch him!"

Calem, Serena, and Olivier watched Lucard Grandjean's interview. The three of them laughed at Lucard's outfit, which consisted of a mink coat and a red speedo. Lucard also acted very over-the-top in his interview, which made the three laugh even more.

"Great show!" said Calem.

"Really funny," said Serena.

Serena then looked at the sky.

"It's getting late," said Olivier. "I have to put Kelpie to bed. And I have to get ready for bed myself."

"What about your parents?" asked Calem.

"Mom and Dad work at night," said Olivier, "but they usually come home by the time I have to go to bed. Tonight they're working later than usual. Don't worry - they're there for me when I need them."

"My parents are too," said Calem. "I call them almost every night."

"Me too," said Serena.

Olivier went to put Kelpie in his Poke Ball, which he did after Calem and Serena said bye. Then the two followed Olivier to his room. Olivier's room was mostly blue and green and had lots of plush toys. There was even a stuffed Dragalge on the bed. Olivier told Calem and Serena that he sleeps with it every night.

"I do the same with one of my dolls," said Calem.

Olivier then took off his shorts and put them in his hamper. Then he sat down on his bed.

"You're going to sleep in that?" asked Serena, seeing Olivier's green speedo.

"I do it quite often when it's warm out," said Olivier. "Don't worry - I take showers."

"Okay," said Serena.

"Thanks for inviting us," said Calem.

"My pleasure," said Olivier. He then remembered something. "Before you go...I have these two items. I have a Whipped Dream and a Sachet. Do you want to take them?"

"Sure," said Calem. "I have a Spritzee, so I'll take the Sachet."

"I have a Swirlix," said Serena. "I'll take the Whipped Dream."

"Okay," said Olivier. "They're on my desk."

Calem took the Sachet and Serena took the Whipped Dream. They thanked Olivier.

"Bye, Olivier!" said Calem and Serena.

"Bye!" said Olivier.

Calem and Serena made their way back to the hotel.

"That guy's really nice," said Calem. "He's a friend of mine. And he's autistic too - we have that in common."

"It was nice of him to give us the Whipped Dream and Sachet," said Serena. "We'll train our Spritzee and Swirlix a bit more, and then we'll use them to evolve them to get Aromatisse and Slurpuff. But right now, I think we should call it a day and go to sleep."

"Definitely," said Calem.


End file.
